Let the Music Be Your Master
by Greywolf
Summary: AU. Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo are three misfits with something to prove. Can they show the world through their music just who they really are? A romantic comedy that shows that what you see isn't always what you get. Now complete.
1. Conform or Be Cast Out

Author's Notes: Okay, I'm going to try and make this as unique as a high school AU can be. There will be some techniques I'll fall back on, but for the most part I want to make this as original as possible. Updates will be pretty slow since my schedule is a little hectic and is only going to get worse. I think it's worth mentioning that because of my choice of songs in this story and because I don't have a complete working knowledge of Japanese culture, the country where this takes place will remain indistinct. That should about cover it for now.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 1: What You See  
  
One lesson in life that very few people learn until later on is that what you see isn't always what you get. We make judgements based on first impression no matter how much we try to distance ourselves from that habit. It really complicates things. When prejudice comes into the matter, it only gets worse. Were it not for our judgemental nature, there would be far fewer outcasts in our society, especially among the younger generations. This is a story about that lesson and how it was learned.  
  
"So I'm a mutt,  
"What do you care?  
"So I'm a mongrel,  
"Who said life was fair?"  
  
Inuyasha Morimoto, Miroku Watanabe, and Shippo Matsumoto were very well known at Wolf Rock High, though this was hardly a good thing. They were the most infamous outcasts of the school. To the "geeks and losers" they were champions, but to everyone else they were slime.  
  
Shippo was a freshman. He was small for his age with a boyish, vulpine face and thick red hair. He did stage magic and card tricks for a hobby. In fact, Shippo first came into the spotlight when he successfully conned one of the football players out of twenty dollars playing Three Card Monty.  
  
Miroku, a senior, was avoided because of a strange mysticism he carried about him. He always seemed detached and aloof, composed and thoughtful. But he was quiet and kept to himself, making him seem untouchable. He never removed his billowing black duster coat no matter the heat, nor did he ever take off the fingerless glove he wore on his right hand and the bracelet of pale blue beads with strange runes carved on them on his right wrist. He had a young face with violet eyes and dark hair in a small tail and had both ears pierced.  
  
Inuyasha, however, was the most infamous of the trio. He had been born with a rare birth defect, resulting in his doglike appearance. He had long silvery hair with dog ears at the top of his head as opposed to a normal pair. His eyes were a bright golden color, and his canines had grown into fangs. This singled him out from the start. After years of being pushed around and tormented, he started fighting back which resulted in his earning a reputation for violence. After he put two football players in the hospital his freshman year, Inuyasha faced expulsion, but was able to get off on a self-defense plea. Now in his senior year, he was shunned for his strange appearance, and explosive temper.  
  
It seemed perfectly normal that these three misfits would eventually come together. What no one else in the school knew, was that they had a plan. They had formed their own band to prove to the world they could make something of themselves. If only the road to success weren't so hard.  
  
Inuyasha played the last few chords to their song "So I'm a Mutt" on his double-necked guitar. It was a gift from his older brother Sesshoumaru two years ago. It was red and black with the word "FANG" scrawled in gold letters between the two sets of strings. "Think we should change that last bit?" he asked turning to the others.  
  
Miroku played the last five notes on his bass guitar twice. "Yeah," he said thoughtfully. "Try something a little lower maybe? Ah, we'll work on it." He unplugged his bass and packed it away.  
  
As Shippo began disassembling his drums and putting them into their cases, he looked up to Inuyasha guiltily. "Hey, dude. Could we hurry up? I just remembered that my parents want me home in about an hour ago." He smiled nervously as his friend scowled.  
  
"You coulda said that earlier," Inuyasha growled. Really, it was no trouble at all. Inuyasha would have gladly done anything for his friends, but it was something he would never admit out loud. He packed up his guitar and amp and the three of them were on their way home. They had chosen to practice in the school auditorium today since there was an early dismissal and would have the place to themselves. It wasn't the first time, and the principal had already said he didn't mind.  
  
They were stuffing Inuyasha's car with all the instruments when his sensitive ears picked up voices. The last set of voices he wanted to hear right now. 'Why, God?' he thought silently, looking up to the sky. 'What did I ever do to you?' He frantically started trying to help Miroku and Shippo pack everything in, earning him a few odd looks. Until they heard the voices too, that is.  
  
"Oh hell, not them," Shippo muttered. They were about to jump in the car when an all-too-familiar voice reached them.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?!"  
  
With a collective groan of frustration, the three boys turned to see Koga Kobe, Kagome and Kikyo Higurashi, Hiten and Monten Sakai, Sango Nanasawa, and Yura Hayasaka. These people were the popular kids, the top of the mountain, and the biggest instigators against the school's outcasts. Koga stood at the front with a smug grin. He was the de facto leader of the group and a personal rival to Inuyasha since middle school.  
  
Miroku, keeping his composure, merely fiddled with the beads at his wrist. "Oh, nothing much. I wasn't aware you all cared."  
  
"As if," Hiten snorted. "We just want you dregs to clear out." It was then that Inuyasha and the others noticed the skateboards and rollerblades their rivals were holding. Apparently they wanted to skate someplace they would have all to themselves, and where would people be less likely to go then the school? That was surprisingly intelligent for this lot.  
  
"What if we don't want to," Inuyasha growled.  
  
"You don't have a choice, mutt," Koga growled back. "Don't like it? Then bite me."  
  
Inuyasha snapped his teeth twice and flashed his fangs. "Watch who you say that to."  
  
It was then that Kagome stepped forward and Inuyasha's attention was now fully on her. She wasn't carrying anything like the others. Obviously just came to be with her friends. "And you wonder why people hate you," she snapped. "Just look at you! You could show some dignity, but no! You decide to play your deformities up! God, what is up with that, anyway? Was your mother into bestiality or something? That would explain a lot."  
  
The group of popular kids went into fits of laughter at that, but Miroku and Shippo stared at her with wide eyes and Inuyasha began to slowly shake with rage. "What did you say?" he snarled. His hands trembled as they balled up into fists and every muscle in his body tensed up. He hated this girl for what she could do to him. He had never heard her speak so cruelly before, though. Maybe Koga was starting to rub off on her.  
  
Kagome looked back at Inuyasha to repeat herself, but stopped out of fear and surprise. He looked ready to kill, but what drew her attention was his eyes. They were filled with rage and fury, sorrow and hurt. She felt a small pang in her chest, but tried to shrug it off. As she opened her mouth to speak, Inuyasha simply barked, "Feh! Skip it, bitch!" and jumped into his car and started the engine.  
  
Miroku and Shippo got in with little hesitation, and the car sped off out of sight. "Good one, babe," Koga said through what remained of his laughter. "You really told that freak off. He had it coming."  
  
"Yeah," Kagome said half-heartedly. She shrugged off what remained of that pang she had felt and rejoined her friends and sister. Still, she couldn't help but wonder why she felt like that, and over Inuyasha of all people. She and Inuyasha had never been friends, but she had always had a strange fascination with him that Kagome just couldn't explain. Always wondering how he managed to keep on going through all the ridicule, always being pushed around.  
  
"You know," Kikyo said beside her, "that might have been the wrong thing to say."  
  
"What?! You're taking dog-boy's side?" Kagome said in disbelief. Kikyo had never joined the others in mocking Inuyasha or any of the other misfits in the school, but she had never said anything in their defense either.  
  
"You do realize that Inuyasha's mother died almost ten years ago from a brain tumor," Kikyo said flatly. "Why do you think he missed a month of school back in third grade? He was devastated."  
  
Kagome suddenly felt like a lead brick had been dropped in her stomach. "Oh," she whispered. 'Oops,' she thought. 'Not even Inuyasha deserved that. Maybe I should... No! No, no, no, no! He had it coming anyway. Didn't he?'  
  
Kagome looked back to her sister who was watching her with an unreadable expression. "How do you know this?"  
  
Kikyo paused for a moment before answering. "I heard it from his older brother a few years ago."  
  
"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked curiously. "What were you doing with him? Sure, he's not as bad as Inuyasha, but we were all glad to see him go." That was an understatement. Half the school had celebrated the regal young man's graduation three years ago. Most people couldn't stand his cold, elitist, superior attitude.  
  
Unfortunately, Kagome never got an answer. Her sister merely turned away to watch Koga wrestle Hiten into a headlock.  
  
**************************************  
  
Inuyasha sped down the road, taking turns far too fast with his hands starting to cramp from holding the wheel too tight. 'What's her problem?!' he screamed mentally. 'What does she have against me? I never did anything to her!' Kagome Higurashi had actually been Inuyasha's first crush back in fifth grade. He tried to be nicer to her than he was to the rest of his peers, but he never stood a chance. Even back then, the children had created thier own social classes and he was at the bottom rung as always.  
  
"INUYASHA LOOK OUT FOR THAT LADY!!"  
  
"Don't scream in my ear, damn it," he sneered at Shippo and swerved just in time to miss an old lady who was crossing the street. He was a speed demon, he admitted it. But he couldn't understand why only Miroku had gotten used to his driving by now. Then again, nothing phased Miroku, so that shouldn't come as any surprise.  
  
The tires screeched as Inuyasha swerved into an abrupt hault in front of Shippo's house. "You can calm down, now," he said mockingly.  
  
"Go to hell," Shippo mumbled as he staggered out of the car, legs still wobbly.  
  
Miroku gave Shippo a hand with his drums and got his bass and amp out afterward, since he only lived two blocks down. "Tomorrow at your house at 4, right?" he asked Inuyasha.  
  
"Keh," the silver-haired boy tossed over his shoulder, which his friends knew was a 'yes.' He sped off toward his home, trying to calm himself, but he simply couldn't get Kagome out of his mind.  
  
"What do I care what that little bitch thinks?" he thought aloud. "She's just like the rest of those stuck-up, arrogant, swaggering, stupid, fucking, fucking..." His thoughts trailed off into incoherent growls and grunts until he pulled into the driveway of his home.  
  
Unloading his guitar and amp, Inuyasha slipped through the front door and made his way straight for the stairs and his bedroom in the loft.  
  
He got there, though, to find Sesshoumaru going through the jumbled contents of his night stand. "Sessh!" he barked irritably. "What the hell are you doing in my room?!"  
  
Sesshoumaru merely looked up, golden brown eyes amused and smirked softly. "Just wanted my Lupin manga back," he said, holding up the comic book in question.  
  
Inuyasha sighed and set his things down, mumbling an apology before flopping face down on his bed. He really shouldn't have tried to take his anger out on his brother. But he really needed to blow off some steam, right now.  
  
"Rough day?" Sesshoumaru asked. He knew his brother wouldn't respond, however, so he continued in a very 'big brother' tone. "If you want to talk about it, you know where to find me." With that he walked out and shut the door softly behind him.  
  
Inuyasha chose, however, to simply lay there in silence for a while. He looked around his room at all the clutter, posters, and bits and pieces of junk. He had a room that many people fantasized about having, and he spent a lot of time here to escape reality. Up in the loft with his music, things always seemed more peaceful without the stress and strife of his every day life.  
  
This time, however, his peace was shattered by a certain girl with dark hair and grey eyes. He, Miroku, and Shippo had formed their nameless band to prove to the world that what you see isn't always what you get, but Inuyasha had to wonder if maybe there was something more he was personally trying to prove. 


	2. It's Been a While Since I Said Sorry

Author's Notes: Yes, I'm going to continue this story. A couple things I just wanted to say. With the surnames, I figured i'd give everyone Japanese ones since they already have Japanese given names. Bonus points to the person who can tell me what show I got three of the surnames from. Also, I think I should mention right now that I'm rather picky about my music, and it will show in the story. I only listen to songs I can really get into so I tend to pick songs here an there without rhyme or reason and listen to only a few groups consistently. That said, let's go on to the next chapter.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 2: It's Been a While Since I Said Sorry  
  
Later that day, Mrs. Higurashi was fixing dinner for her family when the phone rang. She was a middle-aged woman, but hardly seemed it. She looked much younger than she really was and had more energy than women half her age. She reached out for the phone and tucked it into the crook of her neck, supporting it with her shoulder. "Hello. Higurashi residence, Keiko speaking."  
  
"Ah, Mrs. Higurashi," came a deep masculine voice from the other end. "Just who I wanted to talk to. This is Sesshoumaru Morimoto."  
  
"Oh, Sesshoumaru! It's been ages, dear. How are you doing? How's college?" she asked excitedly.  
  
"I'm fine, but that's not the reason I called." Sesshoumaru seemed to pause uneasily. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I had a talk with Inuyasha and it seems that earlier today your daughter Kagome said some rather... upsetting things to my little brother."  
  
Mrs. Higurashi tried to look down at the phone as if seeing it would provide an answer. "What do you mean? What did she say?"  
  
"Well... He tells me she started by mocking his appearance, but then she went on to... How can I put this delicately?... It seems I can't. She implied that his mother was a... a bestiality fetishist."  
  
*****************************  
  
Kagome was up in her room trying her hardest to get through her homework. Why did teachers insist on assigning homework every day of the week? And all of them at once! She was beginning to nod off as she became bored with her physics work when the silence was pierced with a familiar scream.  
  
"KAGOME HIGURASHI, GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!!"  
  
"What did I do this time?" Kagome wondered miserably. Her mother didn't often raise her voice, but when she did it was trouble. Also add in the fact that her mother had used Kagome's full name and the situation only became worse.  
  
There was no point in putting it off. Best to get it over with since delays only made it worse. Kagome stood up and dragged herself downstairs to see her mother with the phone in the living room.  
  
"I'm sorry again about that outburst dear," she apologized into the reciever. "No, no you did right bringing this to my attention... Alright... Give your brother my best regards... Mm-hmm... Good bye, dear." She hung up the phone and glowered at her youngest daughter. "Do you know who I just got off the phone with?"  
  
Kagome tried to avoid making eye contact with her mother. It was rare that the woman got angry, but when she did it was the stuff nightmares are made of. Always the quiet ones, isn't it? "Uh..."  
  
"Sesshoumaru Morimoto," Mrs. Higurashi finished. "He tells me that you decided to insult his brother and step-mother, calling her a, and I quote, 'bestiality fetishist.'"  
  
"Mom," Kagome began desperately, "I can explain!"  
  
"Start explaining then."  
  
"Well, you see..." Kagome said, fumbling with her words. "I was out with friends... and we... that is... we were just..."  
  
"Just what?" Mrs. Higurashi asked coldly.  
  
"Well... he deserved it!" Kagome tried desperately.  
  
"Really? Inuyasha? What did he do to you?"  
  
Kagome wrung her hands in her lap. "He... he threatened to bite us!"  
  
"Why would he do something like that?"  
  
"Because he's insane," Kagome mumbled under her breath.  
  
"I heard that, young lady," Mrs. Higurashi scolded. "Why would he do something like that without provocation? Did you or your friends provoke him?"  
  
Kagome merely kept her mouth shut, not trusting herself to not blurt out a worthless answer. Of course, her silence spoke volumes.  
  
"I see," her mother said flatly. "I'm not going to bother asking which of you started it. Do you know that Sakura Morimoto was a good friend of mine?"  
  
Kagome looked up at her mother in surprise. How come she never heard about this? "You're kidding, right?"  
  
Mrs. Higurashi merely scowled. "No I'm not. Sakura and I grew up together. She lived out of town until about ten years ago. She died only three months after coming home. I believe you were staying with your father when I attended her wake and the funeral."  
  
Kagome looked down at the floor and tried to will it to open up and swallow her whole. She had really screwed up this time.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi was not finished, however. "I'm very disappointed in you, Kagome. I thought I raised you better than this. If you want to see your friends outside of school any time in the near future, you are going to prove to me that you can be a decent humon being by marching over to the Morimoto house and apologizing to Inuyasha for what you said about him and his mother."  
  
"Mom!" Kagome tried to protest, but the glare she recieved her mother silenced any further complaints. This was a no-win scenario. Her mother would undoubtedly call Sesshoumaru after Kagome came home to see if she really had apologized. If she tried to get out of it, punishment would be swift. Mrs. Higurashi was rather idealistic and would go to any lengths to teach her children what was right and what was wrong.  
  
'Oh yeah,' Kagome thought, 'I'm screwed.'  
  
******************************  
  
Inuyasha was in his room with his stereo blasting out the best of Led Zeppelin. He had talked to Sesshoumaru about the incident earlier, and it really did help to get it off his chest. Though the two brothers never showed it in public, they were very close, especially since their father died two years ago in a plane crash over the Atlantic.  
  
The young man stood in the middle of his room playing air guitar to Communication Breakdown and visualizing what it would be like to perform on-stage in front of a real audience. Sure it was childish, but it helped keep him going. It was what he strove for, and he would do anything to make that dream a reality.  
  
Inuyasha was pulled rather abrbuptly out of his thoughts, however, at the sound of the dogs going wild. He and his brother kept five dogs in the house, two of which used to belong to his parents. Out of curiosity, he walked over to the window over-looking the front yard and saw all five dogs jumping excitedly around the wrought iron gate that lead into the yard and Kagome Higurashi standing just outside the gate looking terrified.  
  
'What's she doing here?' He scratched at one of his ears in thought before noticing Sesshoumaru going out to the gate. He calmed the dogs down instantly and started talking to Kagome. Not that Inuyasha could hear. Even with his sensitive hearing, his speakers simply drowned out everything else outside of his room.  
  
His surprise only doubled when Sesshoumaru opened the gate and Kagome slipped in looking very nervous.  
  
******************************  
  
Kagome barely noticed the walk to the Morimoto house. She was too absorbed in silently lamenting her fate. It figures that her mother just had to be friends with the freak's late mother. God must have something against her. She was startled out of her thoughts, however, by the barking of five dogs which came charging up the yard to see her. She jumped back in surprise as a huge, white Great Dane stood up on its hind legs with its massive paws on the top of the gate and barked at her. At least now she had an excuse not to apologize. She could just tell her mother that the dogs chased her off and she wouldn't have to... Was that Sesshoumaru coming up the path? He calmed the dogs instantly and Kagome felt her hopes sink again.  
  
"Good to see you made it," he said tonelessly.  
  
"You know why I'm here?" she asked softly.  
  
Sesshoumaru merely nodded and opened the gate. "You're mother called a few minutes ago and told me to expect you. You'll find Inuyasha in his room in the loft. Go up the stairs, turn left, and you'll find the stairs to his room behind the door at the end of the hall with the Led Zeppelin poster on it."  
  
"The what poster?" Led Zeppelin? What was he talking about? Was it a band?  
  
"Nevermind," 4Sesshoumaru shrugged. "You can't miss it, anyway." He then turned to the dogs and took on a commanding tone. "Spike! Edge! Sparks! Alexander! Hadrian! Let's go!" With that he strode off to the backyward with the five dogs obediently following behind him.  
  
Kagome stood staring for a moment before shutting the gate and walking inside. The Morimoto family was easily upper middle-class, something their luxurious home and expensive furniture showed easily. She had a nice home, make no mistake, but she felt a little uncomfortable in a house that flaunted its wealth like this. She quietly made her way upstairs, following Sesshoumaru's directions.  
  
At last, she reached the door he had told her of. The poster he spoke of had Led Zeppelin in silver letters at the top and showed four men in their mid-twenties all with long hair. In the background was a picture she recognized from history class as a scene from the Hindenberg disaster.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Kagome opened the door and slowly made her way upstairs. One more door was all that stood between her and the difficult task ahead.  
  
******************************  
  
Inuyasha turned off his stereo when he saw Kagome come into the house. What did she want? Why would she come here of all places?  
  
He watched his door anxiously, waiting for some sign of anyone. There was a tentative knock on the door and he swallowed, twitching his ears a little. "Come in," he said as calmly as possible.  
  
He folded his arms over his chest as Kagome came in looking just as nervous as he felt. He had to admit, she looked really pretty in the outfit she was wearing: a green T-shirt with a knee-length denim skirt and her hair hanging freely down her back. "You need something?" he managed to ask casually. She may have been the last person on earth he wanted to see right now, much less see in his room, his sanctuary, but he still was smart enough to know that for her to come here, she had to have a damn good reason.  
  
"I, uh..." Kagome started, playing with a lock of her hair nervously. "I wanted to tell you... that... that I'm... I'm sorry about what I said earlier." Now she refused to even look him in his face. She just kept staring at the floor.  
  
Inuyasha stood mute for a second in surprise. Had Kagome Higurashi, one of the most stuck-up girls in the entire school apologized to the lowest of the low? "What?"  
  
"I said I'm sorry," she said with a sudden panic. "I didn't mean what I said about your mother. I didn't know she... passed on. I'm sorry!"  
  
An awkward silence filled the room. Kagome stood staring at the floor while Inuyasha remained motionless with his eyes fixed on the girl in front of him. After a while, it finally sunk what had just happened and his anger slowly dissipated like so much steam. "Apology accepted," he said softly.  
  
******************************  
  
"Apology accepted."  
  
Kagome's head shot up and for the first time since coming in she made eye contact with Inuyasha. How could it be that simple? He should have thrown a fit or started acting childish and rude or something. "What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly.  
  
"Apology accepted," he repeated and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Why?" She immediately regretted that choice of words because Inuyasha fixed her with a very odd look.  
  
He simply srugged again, though. "You seemed sincere enough. I thought I'd give you the benefit of the doubt and believe you, despite the fact that up until now you haven't given me a whole lot of reason to."  
  
He was willing to believe she was genuinely sorry just because he thought she sounded honest this one time? Kagome couldn't believe he was so easily forgiving her. With all of her experiences with her friends, Koga and Yura in particular, she was expecting this to be a lot harder. She felt her face heat up and realized with a shock that she was blushing.  
  
Kagome had heard that you can get rid of a blush by looking at something red, so she snapped her eyes to the first red thing she saw, which happened to be Inuyasha's shirt. This turned out to be a bad idea, however, because she now noticed how tight it was, giving her a good view of his muscular upper body. She felt her face grow even hotter and she decided to go right back to staring at her shoes.  
  
"You ok?"  
  
"I'm fine." Kagome forced a laugh and tried desperately to cover up her little slip in composure. "Well, that's all I wanted to say. Bye!" She took off the down the steps before Inuyasha could say anything else.  
  
"Watch out for the dogs on your way out!" she heard him call down the steps. "They're not dangerous, but they like meeting new people and will try their damndest to escape if you give them the chance!"  
  
******************************  
  
By the time Kagome got home, dinner was ready. She barely tasted her food at all, though, and she didn't say a word throughout the entire meal. She was too busy thinking about what had just happened between her and Inuyasha.  
  
She went to bed that night still thinking over the events of the day. 'I can't believe he would forgive me so easily,' she thought as she looked out her window to the stars. 'I thought he was going to be a baby about it.' She felt a little emberassed thinking about it. Sure apologies were never easy, but she had treated this one like it was the end of the world. Inuyasha was surprisingly mature about it.  
  
'I wonder what goes on in his head,' she wondered absent-mindedly. 'I never expected him to act like that. What else is there to him that nobody knows about?' 


	3. Just Talked to This Girl

Author's Notes: Not many reviews, but I suppose I can't ask for miracles. I guess I have to wait for this story to catch on. Doesn't help that some people are getting tired of high school AUs. I myself am rather picky about which ones I read and I don't review nearly as much as I should. Right now, I'd like to recommend two of my favorite stories, also inspirations for this little work of mine: Sing a Song With Me, and Kinetics. Both are great stories and I highly recommend you check them out.  
Also, in any future reviews, I'd appreciate any constructive criticism you can give me. In the meantime, this chapter will present us with a rather unorthodox situation and set us up for an equally strange couple which I hope you won't find too disagreeable. As I said, I'm trying to make this original, so I'm just playing around with ideas right now. Well, that's enough out of me. Enjoy the story.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 3: The New Girl  
  
For Kagome, the weekend flew by. It ended all too soon and then it was back to school, the building where you either suffered or slipped into a coma out of boredom. She arrived to find the grounds packed with students. Apparently the doors hadn't opened for some reason. Not that she or anyone else was complaining. A lot of students saw it as an opportunity to hang out with their friends a while longer and get an extra cigarette in before the bell.  
  
She pushed her way through the crowds, seeking a friendly face. At last, she spotted Sango, her best friend. Sango was the star of the girls' track team, and the eldest child of a family that ran a martial arts school. "Sango! Over here!"  
  
The two girls shoved through the crowd to each other, knowing very well that no one would say anything to them. Kagome, being one of the most popular girls in school, was someone you simply did not talk back to, and Sango was just dangerous to cross, as many would-be suitors had found out. "Kagome! Where have you been all weekend? I tried calling you after we got home, but I didn't get any answer."  
  
"Oh, I just wanted to spend some time with my family," she lied. Kagome had spent most of that weekend catching up on the homework she had fallen behind on. Apologizing to Inuyasha did not make her mother any more sympathetic to her plight, either. Nor did confusion over said boy help.  
  
"You're lying to me," Sango said flatly. No one knew how she did it, but Sango could easily spot a lie on matter who it came from. Somehow, someway she always knew. "But I'll let it slide this time."  
  
Kagome grinned nervously. It wasn't that she didn't trust her best friend, she simply wanted as few people as possible to know about her forced apology. A thing like that could do severe damage to one's reputation.  
  
As if fate were conspiring against her, she saw the startled face of Inuyasha from the corner of her eye right before he came crashing down, bumping into her, causing her to fall against Sango, who lost her balance and fell over against a boy behind her, and so on with a rather comical domino effect.  
  
As Kagome prepared to glare at Inuyasha, she heard him mumble an apology to her before Koga emerged from the crowd. "Just what the hell are you doing to Kagome?" he shouted at Inuyasha.  
  
With what dignity he had left, the silver-haired boy picked himself up and scowled at Koga. "You were the one who pushed me," he snarled. "What justification do you have this time? Or is it another one of those lame 'you had it coming' things?"  
  
Koga was silent for a moment. Inuyasha had managed to stop him cold with that one. "Shut up," he snapped.  
  
Inuyasha simply smirked. "Real clever. I don't think it's possible for a human to be born as stupid as you are now. It had to have happened later on. Tell me, was it overnight, or a slow gradual process?"  
  
Koga sneered and balled his hands into fists. "Shut your trap, mongrel!"  
  
Inuyasha merely scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Feh! You're not worth the effort. Later, dude." With that he vanished back into the crowd, leaving a fuming Koga standing there like a fool as several students tried to stifle their laughter.  
  
'Well,' Kagome thought, 'it looks like dog-boy won that round. Koga really needs some better comebacks.'  
  
*************************  
  
As it turned out, the school's wiring system had been munched on by mice resulting in a small explosion in the maintenance room. The staff managed to get the problem under control and let the students in at last, but for the sake of safety they all had to stay in homeroom until the lights came back on.  
  
It was now an hour and a half into the school day, and a handful of students were openly praying for it to last even longer. The room would have been dark had it not been for the relentlessly cheerful sunlight pouring in through the windows. The teacher sat behind her desk boredly watching the students trying to goof off as much as possible while still staying in their seats (thus technically obeying the rule and not getting a detention for so many odd days or weeks).  
  
Kagome and Sango chatted away about the most unimportant things in the world, as most anyone would do in their situation. When Sango turned her back to see who had tossed a paper football passed her head, Kagome decided to risk a glance at Inuyasha. He was sitting with Miroku and Shippo, wearing his headphones and bobbing his head to the music while his friends talked away. Kagome supressed a smile that she really didn't want anyone to see right now and turned back just before Sango.  
  
There suddenly was a knock at the door and the noise of the room fell to a soft buzz. The teacher got up and answered the door, making way for a young girl with maroon eyes and golden blonde hair. She looked relatively young, probably a freshman, and seemed a little nervous to be in a room lit only by sunlight and full of staring upper-classmen. She handed the teacher a small note and chewed her lip slightly.  
  
The elderly teacher looked at the note for a minute before nodding and pointing to the desk in front of Kagome. "Take a seat there, miss."  
  
The blonde girl nodded and walked over to her new seat, offering a hopeful smile to those she made eye contact with. She took her seat and looked around nervously for a moment before her eyes settled on Kagome.  
  
"Hi," Kagome said politely. "I've never seen you before. Are you new in town?"  
  
"Yeah, actually," the girl confessed. "Just moved in a couple days ago."  
  
"What's your name?" Sango asked.  
  
"Kirara. Kirara Michiba."  
  
"I'm Kagome Higurashi and this is my friend, Sango Nanasawa."  
  
"Nice to meet you both," Kirara said with a smile.  
  
"You too," Sango beamed back. "So, what are you into?"  
  
Kirara smiled softly, her nervousness visibly starting to melt away. "Well, I like computers, cats, and music in that order."  
  
"What kind of music?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Mostly progressive and classic rock, though Less Than Jake is my favorite band." She grinned, but looked disappointed at the two other girls' blank stares.  
  
"Did I hear someone mention Less Than Jake?"  
  
All three girls jumped in surprise as Shippo popped up out of nowhere with a big grin on his vulpine face.  
  
Kagome growled softly to give the freshman a good slap upside the head when Kirara turned in her seat with a hopeful smile. "You like Less Than Jake?"  
  
"It's only one of my favorite groups," Shippo replied with a grin. "I'm Shippo. You?"  
  
"Kirara. What's your favorite Less Than Jake song?"  
  
"Scott Farcas Takes It On the Chin, no contest!"  
  
"I'm partial to Help Save the Youth of America From Exploding myself."  
  
Kagome sat numb with shock. Someone was actually having a decent conversation with Shippo Matsumoto. There were only so many people in the school who could stand to be within fifty of him, let alone talk to him. Kagome herself swore that if she had to go through another lunch period listening to him chanting "Find the Lady!" as he conned the jocks out of their cash she would slap him silly.  
  
And hear was Kirara the new girl, sitting there grinning ear-to-ear as she chattered away with the spritely little freshman. It wasn't possible, but there it was! This day just kept getting wierder and wierder.  
  
******************************  
  
The students were finally let out of homeroom in time for the lunch bell, though Kagome was far from pleased. No sooner had she stepped in the cafeteria than she was greeted with an obnoxiously familiar scene.  
  
"Find the Lady! Come on! Dollar to play, a dollar to find the lady!" There was a fast-talking Shippo with Inuyasha and Miroku at his sides playing Three Card Monty once again. Somehow, he never got caught and his victims never wised up. Of course, his victims were almost exclusively stereotypical jocks, so it wasn't that big a surprise. What caught Kagome off-guard was when she saw Kirara at the table with three boys trying hard to hold in her laughter as another football player forked over a handful of singles and proceeded to be scammed.  
  
"Oooh, tough break," Shippo smirked as he claimed the last of the bills. "Come on, next player! Find the lady! Where'd she go? Nobody knows! Find the lady! Dollar to play!"  
  
"Haven't they figured out by now that they can't win?" Sango asked coming up from behind Kagome. "The little runt cons them out of a small fortune daily!"  
  
"You were right, Shippo," Kirara laughed. "These guys are about as bright as midnight in a coal chute!"  
  
"Why is she hanging out with those losers?" Kagome asked indignantly. "She doesn't seem like their type to me."  
  
"Maybe she's on medication," Sango said hopefully.  
  
Kagome, of course, seriously doubted that. Now they had to find a way of ditching Kirara if she got too close to them again. It would destroy their repuations to be associated with someone who hung out with the biggest losers in the school and was actually on the runt's side. Kagome thought her day couldn't get much worse.  
  
She learned a little late, however, that not only was she grossly exaggerating, but she had also just jinxed it. 


	4. When You Don't Know Yourself

Author's Notes: Well here I am again, moving on to a fourth chapter. I was pretty pleased by your reactions to Kirara and Shippo. I decided to shoot for something original that people wouldn't complain about and it looks like it was a success. The whole reason I made Kirara human is because I wanted to give her a shot at being something other than a cat.  
In this chapter, I'll bring in another character and hopefully we can move on to thickening the plot next chapter. I don't know, really. I'm just making all of this up as I go along.  
Also, I am aware that there are a number of spelling and grammatical errors. I hope to have those fixed sometime this weekend. Unfortunately, the only program on this computer that creates text documents, because I can't work with html for my on eccentric reasons, has no spell checkers. So, don't worry, the errors will be fixed in good time.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 4: Cafeteria Conversations  
  
Kagome and Sango had no idea how much worse their day could be until they got their lunches only to realize that the entire caefteria was now full, save for the table where Kirara and the losers were sitting. They stared in horror for a minute before looking to one another. "How did this happen?" Kagome asked.  
"Don't know," Sango replied, "don't want to know. All I know is, we're stuck. Remember the last time we threw people out of their seats so we wouldn't have to be at the same table as dog-boy?"  
Oh yes, Kagome remembered that well. For some inexplicable reason, Shippo got away with ritualistically swindling the student body, but if ever she or Sango set one foot out of line, they were tossed in detention before they could turn around. Were the teachers siding with the losers or something? Were the losers bribing them? Kagome shook her head resignedly. "Well, we better get this overwith."  
  
**************************  
  
Inuyasha turned up the volume of his music a little more. Shippo and the new girl Kirara had really hit it off. They acted like two little kids who thought they had found their first love. And it was so sweet and adorable it was beginning to make him sick.  
  
He flicked his ears slightly in surprise when he saw Kagome and Sango approaching their table as if it were the gallows. He glanced around briefly and noticed that there table was practically desserted and the rest of the cafeteria was packed to the brim. 'Perfect,' Inuyasha thought cynically. 'Hopefully they'll just keep their mouths shut and not harass us over anything.'  
  
Kirara seemed to be the only one who wasn't surprised when Kagome and Sango sat across the table with as much dignity as they could muster. After a moment though, Shippo's face split with a toothy grin and he laid out three cards. "Find th-"  
  
"No!" Sango snapped.  
  
Shippo simply took his cards back and smiled aologetically, causing Kirara to giggle slightly.  
  
An awakward silence set in. It was finally broken when a senior with long black hair and dressed up like a goth strode up to the table and sat down beside Kagome without a word or even a glance.  
  
"Hey, Naraku," Inuyasha said off-handedly. "How's it going?"  
  
Naraku shrugged. "Same old, same old."  
  
"Naraku," Miroku said, "have you met Kirara yet? She just came in today."  
  
Naraku looked up from his food and gave a polite nod which Kirara responded to with her usual smile. "Nice to meet you," she beamed. "I assume you're friends with Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo?"  
  
The goth boy nodded once again. "For a couple of years now."  
  
"Naraku's the quiet type," Shippo explained. "Nice guy once you get to know him, though."  
  
Naraku smirked, a rather creepy gesture by itself, and let out a faint chuckle. "Hardly. I'm selfish, heartless, and anti-social."  
  
Inuyasha tried to hide his smile at Kagome's failed attempts to hide her shivering. Naraku had an incredible talent for scaring the daylights out of people without even trying. No one would have suspected that the goth punk actually planned to be a business major and act as manager for his friends' nameless band when he was able to.  
  
"Hey Miroku," Kirara suddenly said, "out of curiosity, why do you always wear that glove? Does it have a purpose? Doesn't it bother you sometimes?"  
  
Miroku glanced at his hand. "Just a fashion statement," he said with a smirk.  
  
"Liar," Sango muttered under her breath.  
  
Miroku still heard it, though, and smiled at her. "Very insightful, my dear. Brains, beauty, and intuition. I like that."  
  
Sango scowled darkly at Miroku who continued to smile innocently. Inuyasha never understood just how the band's bassist, who was a con artist on par with Shippo (albeit with a different style, being a smooth talker instead of a fast talker) could manage to constantly look so innocent. "Anyway, she's right. It is a lie. There's an interesting story behind this actually."  
  
Kirara leaned forward to get a better view of Miroku, obviously interested in what he had to say. "Well? Are you going to tell us or what?"  
  
Miroku cleared his throat and began fiddling with the beads of his bracelet as he began talking. "About four years ago, I was out with Inuyasha and his older brother Sesshoumaru. We were wandering around town trying to cause a little harmless trouble. Don't let Sessh tell you otherwise, he had and still has a very boyish side to him. Anyway, I got seperated from them in a crowd, and wandered alone for a half-hour trying to find them.  
  
"I ended up getting mugged. The guy who jumped me pulled out a switchblade and tried to stab me when I fought back. He would have gotten me in the throat or the face if I hadn't raised my hand in time. A stupid move, I know, but I was fighting for my life, and my first instinct was to protect all vital organs first. I ended up with the palm of my right hand cut open and I probably would have been worse off if the police hadn't been passing by at the time. If it weren't for the fact that they saved me life, I probably would have complained about how contrived it all looked.  
  
"Anyway, the police questioned me about my attacker. Everything moved so fast, and the light was so poor, that I jumped to conclusions and gave them the name of the one person I knew who had really long wavy dark hair like the mugger did."  
  
"Me," Naraku said flatly.  
  
"Naraku was taken in, and since he had a weak alliby and no one to vouch for him, things looked pretty bad. Until they picked the real guy up for armed robbery a few days later, that is. I recognized the guy immediately, identified the knife, and Naraku was free to go.  
  
"After my hand healed over a month or so later, Naraku gave me the glove to cover up the scar. It was his way of saying there were no hard feelings."  
  
Naraku simply shrugged. "I'm not the type of guy to hold a grudge. Wasn't his fault, anyway."  
  
"Cool!" Kirara grinned. "That would be one hell of a story to tell future generations."  
  
Inuyasha glanced over at Kagome and Sango. He noticed that they were eating quickly without trying to make it look that way and that they carefully kept their eyes focused on their trays. This really annoyed him. He and the others had been behaving fine, and yet those two could only think about getting away as fast as possible.  
  
"Hey," he growled. "What's your problem? Is our company really so unbearable that you won't even look at us?"  
  
No response. The girls continued to quietly eat as if nothing had happened.  
  
"I must admit, Inuyasha has a point," Miroku said softly. "We hear what you two always say about us in the halls, and yet you sit here while we have done nothing and treat this as a punishment. I can't help but feel a little insulted."  
  
Sango growled and slowly lifted her eyes to Miroku, fixing him with a piercing glare, though the boy seemed unaffected. "Insulted? You're one to talk. I still haven't forgotten that incident at camp back in 6th grade, for one thing."  
  
"My intentions were pure," Miroku said levelly. "I thought the snake was venomous so I did what I was always told to do and tried to suck the poison out. How was I to know it was only a rat snake?"  
  
Sango huffed indignantly. "So you say."  
  
"Give him a break, Sango," Shippo said. "Miroku may not be a shining example of morality, but he has some standards."  
  
"You're hardly one to talk about morals, runt." This time it was Kagome. She sat there, still focusing on her tray, though there was a very cold look on her face.  
  
Kirara looked at Kagome in shock. "That's not fair, Kagome, and you know it. Shippo hasn't done anything to you."  
  
Inuyasha just folded his arms over his chest. "Don't bother, Kirara. I can tell already that this is a losing battle. Here, you're either like them or you're like us, and it's people like those two that personally see to it."  
  
"Just what is that supposed to mean?" Kagome snapped.  
  
"It means," said Naraku from beside her, "that you girls and all the other popular kids in the school try to enforce the little social castes you've created. You need us to make sure you stay popular. In the words of Laurence Olivier, 'One of the disadvantages to being a Patrician is that occasionally you are obliged to act like one.'"  
  
At the blanks stares he recieved from the girls however, Naraku shook his head. "Don't you people watch movies? Spartacus? Marcus Licinius Crassus? Forget it."  
  
"Let's just get out of here," Inuyasha said with a sigh. "It's obvious we're not wanted here."  
  
The group got up to leave, though Kirara stayed seated. "I'll catch up with you guys in a minute. I have a few questions."  
  
"Suit yourself," Shippo said with a shrug. "Just don't expect good answers."  
  
***************************  
  
Kagome inwardly sighed with relief when the losers left. Now they just had to find a way to get rid of Kirara. She was a nice girl, really, and it's not that she wanted to get rid of her, but Kagome couldn't afford her reputation this late in the game. It would officially be Spring next week and there was only a couple months left after that to maintain her social status among her peers before she could stop worrying about it. When did she become so wrapped up in this anyway? When did it become so crucial?  
  
She looked up to see Kirara with a questioning look in her eyes. "What do you want to know?" Kagome asked as politely as she could.  
  
"I want to know why you acted so cold and rude just a minute ago. What did they do to deserve being treated like that?" Kirara was very straightforward. She got right to the point and by the look on her face, she wouldn't go until she got a satisfactory answer.  
  
"Miroku's a lying pervert," Sango began, "Inuyasha's an anti-social maniac, and Shippo's a sneaky little con-man." It was the standard reply if ever such a question came up. Sango even sounded as if she had rehearsed it many times before.  
  
"What evidence do you have to support that?" Kirara asked evenly.  
  
This time it was Kagome's turn. "The instant we get to the table, Shippo starts trying to get us to play his stupid game. We seem to be the only ones who know it's a scam."  
  
"Obviously" Kirara replied. "But if people are stupid enough to fall for such an obvious set-up, aren't they just as much to blame?"  
  
'Damn, she makes a good point,' Kagome thought. But Kirara wasn't done.  
  
"Shippo says he's been doing this since the beginning of the year. That's over six months! And in that time, only the so-called 'losers' never played because they understood from the start that they couldn't win. Don't you think those other people should have figured it out by now?"  
  
Kagome and Sango were silent. No one had ever put it to them like that before. Sure, they knew the jocks should have wised up months ago, but they didn't. It was only the outcasts who never played.  
  
"Anything else? What other evidence do you have?"  
  
"Well," Kagome began, trying to scrounge up something, "there's Miroku. He's such a skirt-chaser. He hits on every woman with a pulse, for god's sake!"  
  
"And this is different from other guys, how?" Kirara lifted an eyebrow questioningly. "The only guys who don't think of women every ten seconds are either dead or gay. I live with my single father, have four uncles, a nephew, and all of my cousins are male. I like to think I know what I'm talking about."  
  
"Well have any of your cousins groped women in public?" Sango shot back. The tone in her voice and the expression on her face left little doubt which women, or rather, woman she was talking about.  
  
"A couple slaps on the butt may not be appropriate, but it won't kill you," Kirara returned with a shrug. "The first and only time a guy ever did it to me, I took it as a compliment, though I kindly warned him to watch it in the future. Besides, Inuyasha and Shippo already explained Miroku's reputation to me. Half the incidents seem to be caused by bad timing. Next?"  
  
"Well," Kagome began again, "Inuyasha has been suspended countless times for fighting. He's always beating the crap out of our friends."  
  
"Does he go around picking fights?" Kirara countered.  
  
"Well, no... actually," Sango admitted.  
  
"Then they must have been provoked. My father's a psychologist, you know. The first thing he taught me about people is that they don't do things unless you give them a motivation to."  
  
'How does she do this?' Kagome wondered. 'Why is she making so much sense?' She noticed Sango pursing her lips and avoiding making eye contact with Kirara from the corner of her eye and suddenly realized she was doing the same.  
  
"Well, I guess the guys were right," Kirara said, standing up. "This is the best I'm going to get out of you, isn't it? How disappointing. I thought you two were nice when I first met you, but it seems first impressions can be wrong." With that, she turned on her heel and strode out of the cafeteria in the direction the boys went.  
  
Kagome and Sango sat mute in their seats for a while before looking to one another. "Sango, just how did we end up the bad guys here?"  
  
"I don't know," Sango replied. "I just wish she hadn't so much damn sense. Now I'm actually starting to wonder..."  
  
Kagome nodded, understanding what her friend meant. Kirara had seemed like the poster child for popularity. She was pretty, smart, and nice, but she chose to hang out with the school's misfits, and the three most notorious members of the lot at that. Why? What did they have to offer that she found so much more desirable than to be friends with two of the most popular and well-loved girls in the school?  
  
Kagome would be stuck with this thought for the rest of the day. She could not understand what it was Kirara found so appealing about the misfits, but later that night, she finally realized the reason she couldn't understand was because she refused to think of those boys as anything other than misfits. 


	5. Some Enchanted Evening

Author's Notes: Once again, I return. I've decided to actually complete the story, then go back and revise and fully edit it. That may seem very lazy of me, but if I don't keep moving on a project I lose interest and quit. I do that too often.  
Again, more reviews please. I'm glad to see the story's finally catching on, though. It's a real ego boost. If ever you don't like something in this story, say it. I have had people tell me just how much they thought some of my works sucked, and I appreciated the input. The only way for me to make something better is to hear what I'm doing wrong.  
I'm also very pleased at all the positive reaction I'm getting from the unorthodox roles I've put some of the characters in. You people seem to particularly like Shippo and Kirara so I may devote the next chapter to them. We'll see.  
Finally, I'd like to send a big thank you to Ama (Shades of Oblivion who reviewed my story and put it on her favorites list. Her story Kinetics was one of my biggest inspirations to write Let the Music Be Your Master. I am very flattered, and though I feel sorry for inadvertently "de-railing her thoughts" for Kinetics, I send you my best wishes and support. It really made my day to see the author of one of my favorite stories give such praise to my own work and has really fueled my determination to continue and ultimately finish Let the Music Be Your Master.  
That said, let's go on with the story.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 5: Some Enchanted Evening  
  
"Take me to the mountains,  
"Take me to Shagri La.  
"Take me to El Dorado,  
"Deep in America.  
"Take me to Atlantis,  
"Underneath the waves.  
"Take me to Brigadoon,  
"And into the astral plane.  
"Deep in Otherworld, (Otherworld)  
"Down in Otherworld, (Otherworld)  
"Inside Otherworld, (Otherworld)  
"Beyond Otherworld."  
  
Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo were in Inuyasha's garage practicing their newest song which Miroku had written. He called it Otherworld. The drums and base created a hypnotic rhythm while the guitar work was made up mostly of very mystical-sounding chords. As the song wound to a close, Inuyasha couldn't help but smile. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of that song."  
  
Miroku smirked proudly. "I told you. Ten bucks says this will be on our greatest hits album ten years down the road."  
  
"You're on," Shippo said defiantly.  
  
Inuyasha slipped off his guitar and propped it up on its mount. He switched off the amp and turned to his friends. "I'm gonna go get something to eat. You guys hungry?"  
  
The other two boys nodded simultaneously and followed Inuyasha into the kitchen. They were a little surprised to see Sesshoumaru sitting at the island talking on the phone, but shrugged it off and proceeded to silently raid the fridge.  
  
No sooner had the boys sat down with their food, which consisted of five plates of left over ribs and pizza, then the five dogs of the house came barrelling in and promptly sitting down facing the boys with their tails wagging.  
  
"No," Inuyasha growled. "We already fed all of you three times today. You're gonna start putting on weight."  
  
This did not deter the dogs, though. Being incapable of understanding English, they continued to sit and wag their tails with hopeful looks in their eyes.  
  
Inuyasha sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll let you lick the plates when we're done."  
  
As if the dogs could understand, they wagged their tails even harder and seemed to now be patiently waiting.  
  
"That's really creepy," Shippo commented around a mouthful of pepperroni pizza. "I seriously sometimes think Spike and Hadrian can spell."  
  
"Why is your family incapable of giving your pets normal names?" Miroku asked off-handedly.  
  
"What's wrong with Spike and Edge?" Inuyasha replied defensively. He glanced over at the big Great Dane and the Husky with mismatched eyes. "I think it suits them."  
  
"I suppose its better than Rover." Miroku shrugged and stuffed a folded piece of muchroom pizza into his mouth.  
  
"Alright..." Sesshoumaru said as he stood up. "Alright then... We'll see you at 7... Oh don't worry. I don't think he'll mind... Goodbye."  
  
Inuyasha looked up suspiciously at his brother. "Who were you talking to?"  
  
"That was Keiko Higurashi," Sesshoumaru answered evenly. "She's bringing her family over for dinner tonight."  
  
Inuyasha choked on a mouthful of ribs in surprise and ended up coughing it back out. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, his mother's Jack Russel Terrier, Sparks, was able to catch the half-chewed food in mid-air before it could ruin the recently polished hardwood floor.  
  
"Well there goes my appetite," Shippo whined.  
  
Miroku nodded in agreement and shoved his plate away from himself. "My sentiments exactly. That was something I really had no desire to see."  
  
As soon an Inuyasha regained his composure, he looked back up at his brother, who still had an unreadable expression on his face. "What did you say?! Why?!"  
  
"You may not remember Inuyasha, but your mother and Keiko used to be very close friends. She attended the wake and the funeral when you were a boy. If you recall, she was the woman who tried to comfort you, but you were inconsolable."  
  
"Oh," Inuyasha said flatly as memory returned to him. Thoughts of his mother subdued him quickly. "But why did you invite her over?"  
  
Sesshoumaru paused a moment as if considering his answer. "I thought it would be good for our families, or what's left of of ours, to catch up on old times. Aside from Kikyo and Kagome, we haven't had any contact with one another in years."  
  
Inuyasha sighed resignedly. Sesshoumaru was the kind of person who would not make a decision unless they had ample reason to, and that decision was final. "Fine. But don't expect me to show Kagome anything beyond common courtesy. She hasn't earned anything else from me."  
  
He was a little surprised when Sesshoumaru just nodded. "I assume she recovered from that lapse when she apologized to you and went back to hanging out with the obnoxious conformists?"  
  
"How'd you know?"  
  
"Lucky guess."  
  
**************************  
  
"WE'RE GOING WHERE?!" The Higurashi family was gathered in the living room and Mrs. Higurashi had just given the good news about dinner.  
  
"Jeez, sis!" Sota whined, rubbing his ears. "I think I saw the windows rattle with that!"  
  
"Honestly, Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi scolded, "you're blowing this a little out of proportion."  
  
Kagome knew her mother had a reasonable point, but she wasn't one to give up without a fight. So long as her mother didn't use her patented 'The Glare!' or 'The Voice!' and fortunately, neither was being used right now. "But I can't sit at the same table as Inuyasha! We can barely stand to be in the same school, for crying out loud!"  
  
Kikyo cleared her throat. "I think you're trying a little too hard to avoid him. I haven't heard him do anything to you without warning or cause lately."  
  
"What?! I thought you were supposed to be on my side!" One thing Kagome prided herself on was that she had an impressive set of lungs. When she talked, you had to listen.  
  
Of course, that didn't necessarily mean you had to agree. "Since when?" Kikyo asked with a smirk.  
  
"That's enough, both of you." Mrs. Higurashi put her hands on her hips and glared down at her youngest daughter.  
  
'Oh great,' Kagome thought miserably, 'she's using "The Glare!" on me. Now what?'  
  
"Kagome, you seem to be the only one opposed to this. The Morimoto family has gone through some rough times in the past decade and they've had to face it alone for most of that time." She folded her arms over her chest and continued to glower, not daring to give her daughter one second of freedom from her burning gaze. "If Sesshoumaru hadn't invited us over, I probably would have invited them to our house myself. Either way, we're going to meet with them, and it makes no difference to me whose house we use. Take your pick: the Morimoto home, or here."  
  
A 'damned if you, damned if you don't' situation if Kagome had ever seen one before. "Their house," she said in a tone that practically screamed 'I'll do it, but you can't make me like it!'  
  
"I actually look forward to seeing young Inuyasha again," Grandpa said from his seat in the recliner. "The last time I saw him, he was only a toddler. Cute little thing."  
  
Kagome had a hard time picturing Inuyasha as a cute little baby. All these years, she had seen him as a violent loner. It's hard to picture someone as a polar opposite of themselves after seeing them around for over ten years.  
  
**************************  
  
7 o'clock rolled around and Kagome found herself stepping out of the car with her family at the Morimoto home. They walked up te crushed shale path to the veranda and were greeted by the five dogs Kagome remembered from before standing behind the glass double doors wagging their tails. Now that she wasn't panicked, Kagome noted the breeds. There was the white Great Dane she remembered from last time, but there was also a Husky with mismatched eyes, a pudgy and greying Jack Russel terrier, a blue Greyhound, and a rather intelligent-looking Pit Bull.  
  
All five dogs began whining and barking and Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha appeared. Sesshoumaru led the Pit Bull and the Greyhound away by their collars, gesturing for the Higurashi family to come in. Inuyasha wrapped his arms arouund the shoulders of the Husky and the Great Dane, leaving only the terrier to run in circles around the feet of the newcomers.  
  
"Don't mind the dogs," Inuyasha said casually. "They're easily escited, but no threat."  
  
"What are their names?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.  
  
"Well these two are Spike and Edge," Inuyasha said, glancing to the Great Dane and the Husky respectively, "and the whirling ball of fuzz down there is Sparks. The Greyhound is Alexander and the pit bull is Hadrian."  
  
Kagome looked at the silver-haired boy questioningly. "Hadrian? Spike? Sparks?"  
  
Inuyasha just stood up and shrugged, letting the two huge dogs he had been restraining trot up to the visitors and proceed to sniff all hands and butts they could get close to. "Hadrian belonged to my father. He's named after the Roman emperor. Sparks was my mother's dog. She always liked the name Sparks for some reason."  
  
"I'm guessing you named Alexander after the ancient conqueror?" Kagome's grandfather asked in a conversational tone.  
  
"My brother did, yeah. Anyway, come on in." With that, he strode off for the living room.  
  
"So, my boy," Grandpa continued as he followed after Inuyasha, "do you have anything planned for after graduation?"  
  
"Sort of," Inuyasha said with a shrug.  
  
Kagome was beginning to wonder if he shrugged like that out of habit. It was always exactly the same and he used it with almost every other answer. Was it some kind of nervous habit? Why the hell was she thinking about this?  
  
"How long did it take you to grow your hair like that?" Sota asked from Inuyasha's other side. Kagome got a little nervous seeing the awe-struck smile on her little brother's face.  
  
"Uh... couple years," Inuyasha replied casually.  
  
"Cool!"  
  
'Oh no," Kagome thought. 'Sota actually likes that freak? Why me? Why God? What did I ever do to you?'  
  
She noticed that the families had split into two groups. Grandpa and Sota were with Inuyasha in the living room, while Kikyo and her mother were with Sesshoumaru in the kitchen. The choice was fairly obvious. She strode into the kitchen where the three adults were talking amongst each other.  
  
"So, dear," Mrs. Higurashi said, "I heard you wanted to be a surgeon?"  
  
"Yes," Sesshoumaru nodded, "but I have a few more years before I'm qualified for training. Getting a degree in medicine is, as I'm sure you know, a long and difficult process."  
  
"Oh, I would imagine," Kikyo said. She smiled softly at Sesshoumaru. "Of course, you graduated fifth in a class of two hundred. You only beat me for that position by the skin of your teeth. It can't be too hard for you, can it?"  
  
Sesshoumaru couldn't seem to stop the smirk from touching his lips. Kagome could see his male ego beginning to show and began to reconsider her choice.  
  
She slipped out of the kitchen before anyone noticed her and headed back to the living room. Grandpa was seated in a very comfortable looking recliner, as Kagome had expected, and Sota was going through Inuyasha's library of CDs and DVDs. Speaking of whom, dog-boy was kneeling down on the floor with Spike and Edge sprawled out on either side of him getting their ribs scratched.  
  
"What's The Rocky Horror Picture Show?" Sota asked, reading the label off one DVD box.  
  
"Kinda risque," Inuyasha replied. "You probably wouldn't get half of it. I have Spider Man or X-Men if you want to watch one of those."  
  
"Sweet!" Sota wasted no time in finding X-Men and put it on the big-screen. He rushed over to the sofa and flopped down in the middle, Kagome soon joining him on his right. "This is a great TV! Where'd you get it?"  
  
"My dad bought it a few years back," Inuyasha replied, sitting down on the opposite side of the sofa. "You should see the system we have in back, though. Dad got it to celebrate Sessh's graduation and acceptance into his first-choice college. A giant plasma screen that can retract into the ceiling, surround sound speakers, luxurious seating, bar, movie posters everywhere. It used to be a game room until we added on four years ago. It went unused until we fixed it up."  
  
Grandpa sat back watching the movie, while Kagome and Sota stared at Inuyasha in shock. Jeez, his family was loaded! He didn't seem to notice the looks he was getting though.  
  
After a minute, Kagome turned her attention back to the movie while Sota continued to watch Inuyasha in awe and admiration.  
  
"I know what you're thinking, kid," she heard Inuyasha say from his side of the couch. "You want to know if you can see that room sometime. Sure. I got Lord of the Rings special edition on DVD. Next time you're over here, we'll make some popcorn and watch it in the home threatre."  
  
"Really? Awesome!" His childish desires for cinematic nirvana sated, Sota returned to watching X-Men, though he was clearly thinking about seeing Lord of the Rings on a big plasma screen.  
  
*****************************  
  
Dinner was called about a half-hour into the movie. The humans all sat around in the fancy dining room while the dogs stayed in the kitchen with their own food. Inuyasha was pleasantly surprised how well the night was going. Kagome had been pretty civil, if a little detached. Her brother seemed to worship the ground he walked on, giving Inuyasha's ego a strong boost. Mrs. Higurashi and her father were actually very polite and respectful to him, though it didn't come as much of a surprise. Sesshoumaru trusted them, didn't he? Speaking of whom, he seemed to spend most of his time talking surprisingly openly with Kikyo.  
  
The night only got better with dinner. Sessh was apparently quite determined to keep Inuyasha at the table because he had gone through the trouble of making roast turkey, cajun shrimp, and scalloped potatoes. Any one of these could keep the younger Morimoto at the table indefinitely, and all three at once was a guaranteed to keep him there until there was nothing left to eat.  
  
"So Inuyasha," Mrs. Higurashi said from beside Kagome who was seated across from Inuyasha, "what do you plan to do after graduation? I don't think your brother ever told me what you had planned."  
  
Inuyasha hastily swallowed a mouthful of turkey and carrots. He wanted to take his band and try to make it big in the entertainment industry, but that wasn't something he wanted to make public knowledge. He thought his cover had been blown the other day when he and Kagome had their little showdown in the parking lot.  
  
He looked over to Sesshoumaru, as if his brother could give him an answer. He was only met with an expressionless look, however. He decided to just skirt around the truth without exactly lying.  
  
"I thought I'd go into music." It came out more curt than he would have liked, but it was too late to take it back. Hopefully they wouldn't press on.  
  
"You play an instrument?" Mrs. Higurashi asked encouragingly.  
  
'Damn," Inuyasha thought. 'So much for that hope.' "Guitar and vocals," he said with a shrug.  
  
"Electric guitar?" Sota asked with an excited smile.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Cool! Can you play us something after dinner? Please?"  
  
Damn it! They all looked at him hopefully. Inuyasha glanced over at Kagome to see a very curious expression on her face. "Sure." Damn! Damn, damn, damn! Why couldn't he have said no?!  
  
*****************************  
  
The rest of dinner passed uneventfully and Inuyasha went upstairs to get his guitar and amp. He took his time going back downstairs as he tried to think of a song to play. He stopped in the middle of the hall, though, his sensitive ears picking up Sesshoumaru's voice from downstairs in the living room.  
  
"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. He's quite talented, you know."  
  
Mrs. Higurashi's voice joined his. "Oh, I don't doubt it. Sakura was such a wonderful writer. He reminds me so much of her I wouldn't be in the least surprised if he inherited her creativity."  
  
Inuyasha felt his pride which had been battered and beaten all these long years start to swell. His mother had been a wonderful novelist and song writer. But she always published her works under various pen names, wanting the success without the unwanted attention.  
  
He took a deep breath to prepare himself and walked downstairs, feeling much more confident now. He decided to play the song that just about every guitarist eventually learns: Stairway to Heaven. It was Led Zeppelin that made him want a double-necked guitar, anyway. It just seemed appropriate.  
  
He set up in the living room, trying not to pay any mind to the considering looks the Higurashis were giving him. Inuyasha quickly checked to see if his guitar was in tune and finally looked up at his first audience. "I decided to play Stairway to Heaven, since it's one of the first songs I learned, and besides that it's just a classic."  
  
He tapped the beat with his foot and began the familiar notes he had grown up on. All of his nervousness started to melt away as the song progressed, and by the time he was ready to start singing, he felt fully confident and ready.  
  
"There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold,  
"And she's buying a stairway to Heaven.  
"When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed,  
"With a word she can get what she came for.  
  
"Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to Heaven.  
  
"There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure,  
"'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.  
"In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,  
"Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.  
  
At this point the song started to pick up and Inuyasha couldn't help but smile as he played and sang, letting his voice slowly become stronger with the music.  
  
"Ooh, it makes me wonder.  
"Ooh, it makes me wonder.  
  
"There's a feeling I get, when I look to the west,  
"And my spirit is crying for leaving.  
"In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,  
"And the voices of those who stand looking.  
  
"Ooh, it makes me wonder.  
"Ooh, it really makes me wonder.  
  
"And it's whispered that soon if we all call a tune,  
"Then the piper will lead us to reason.  
"And a new day will dawn for those who stand long,  
"And the forests will echo with laughter.  
  
"Oh whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa  
  
"If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,  
"It's just a spring clean for the May queen.  
"Yes there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run,  
"There's still time to change the road you're on.  
  
"And it makes me wonder.  
"Ooh.  
  
"Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know,  
"The piper's calling you to join him.  
"Dear lady can you hear the wind blow, and did you know,  
"You stairway lies on the whispering wind.  
  
At last came Inuyasha's favorite part of the song. Nothing else in the world mattered except the fun he was having playing his guitar and the thrill of doing it in front of a real audience, even if it was a small one. He played the double-necker skillfully and flawlessly, letting himself be swept away by the music. When he started singing again, his voice was stronger than ever.  
  
"And as we wind on down the road,  
"Our shadows taller than our soul.  
"There walks a lady we all know,  
"Who shines white light and wants to show,  
"How everything still turns to gold.  
"And if you listen very hard,  
"The truth will come to you at last.  
"When all is one and one is all, yeah,  
"To be a rock, and not to roll.  
  
"And she's buying a stairway to heaven..."  
  
Inuyasha looked up from his guitar proudly. Sesshoumaru had a grin of fraternal pride on his face as he applauded his brother. Mrs. Higurashi and her father soon joined in the applause along with Sota who now had stars in his eyes. Kikyo began clapping as well with a small smile. Inuyasha was truly surprised, however, to see Kagome clap lightly herself with a very interesting look on her face. He felt his face heat up slightly. 'Maybe I was wrong about her. Maybe she does have a softer side.'  
  
****************************  
  
Kagome began applauding without realizing it. She had heard of Stairway to Heaven before, but she didn't know who made it and she had never heard the song itself before. This was the first time she had ever heard it and Inuyasha was incredible. He put his heart and soul into his singing and his skill at his instrument was nothing short of amazing. Where had he learned to do this? But there was something more. Maybe it was the passion he put into his performance, maybe it was just a natural charisma he kept hidden from the world, but when he played his presence was captivating.  
  
Kagome couldn't believe her eyes when he looked at her and blushed. Blushed! She had never seen Inuyasha show anything remotely close to emberassment before. 'I guess Kirara was right. He really isn't that bad. He actually looks pretty cool with that guitar and dressed all in red and black. He's kind of cute, too, when he blushes... Did I really just think that?'  
  
"That was wonderful," Mrs. Higurashi said with a huge smile.  
  
"Yes, very well done," Grandpa agreed.  
  
"That was so cool! Can you teach me to do that?"  
  
Apparently, Inuyasha wasn't very good at taking compliments. He looked at his shoes and scratched at the back of his head. Kagome was seeing him in a whole new light. He wasn't the cocky, rude outcast she had come to know over the past decade. Now she saw him as a human being with his own ambitions and goals.  
  
Kagome tried to think of something else, worrying that this was beginning to sound like a scene out of a cheesy romance novel, but she couldn't help feeling a little bad about the way she had been treating Inuyasha all this time.  
  
One thing was for certain, she definately needed to talk to somebody about this.  
  
"Excuse me," Grandpa said as he stood up, "but could you direct me to the nearest bathroom? Old age does have its drawbacks."  
  
There was something Kagome could have gone along time without hearing.  
  
"Past the kitchen, down the hall to the left, first door on the right," Sesshoumaru said tonelessly.  
  
"Hey, Inuyasha," Sota chimed in.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Can I see that theatre thing you were telling me about?" If the boy got any more excited he was liable to explode.  
  
"I don't see why not," Inuyasha said with a shrug. He turned to look at Mrs. Higurashi. "You don't mind, do you?"  
  
"Oh of course not. You two go ahead and watch a movie. After all, its the weekend and we don't have to be anywhere tomorrow."  
  
"Thanks, Mom!"  
  
Inuyasha and Sota promptly vanished, though Inuyasha insisted on first putting his guitar away. That was three down, now Kagome just had to get rid of her mother and Sesshoumaru and she could talk to Kikyo.  
  
Wait... scratch that. Kagome recongized the glances that her sister and the elder Morimoto were sending each other. Though that certainly explained why Kikyo seemed to never want to talk about Sesshoumaru in front of her family, Kagome couldn't help but feel a little wierded out. Not to mention the fact that she was annoyed to see the chances of getting her sister's attention in the immediate future were about zero.  
  
"I'm gonna go join the boys," Kagome said lightly and left before anyway could say anything. Finding the theatre room wasn't too hard. Upon stepping in, she was overwhelmed. Sota and Inuyasha were sitting in the dark on an over-sized black leather sofa in front of plasma screen TV suspended from the ceiling with huge speakers mounted on the walls. There was a bar, mini-fridge, and microwave to her right and the left a tower full of DVDs.  
  
The boys looked back when she came in and smiled. "Hey Kagome," Sota beamed. "We're watching Spider Man! Wanna join us?"  
  
"Sure." As she shut the door behind her, Inuyasha went over to the bar. He pulled out two bags of chips, one plain and the other barbecue, two bags of microwave popcorn, a bag of pretzels, and a six-pack of Vanilla Coke from the fridge. "Go ahead and start the movie, Sota," he said as he tossed one bag of popcorn in the microwave. "I'll be with you guys in a minute."  
  
Kagome took a seat beside her brother as the movie started. She liked the flick, but for some reason she did not like Tobey Maguire. Maybe it was because she had heard he was a jack-ass in real life. "I thought you guys were going to watch Lord of the Rings?"  
  
"Yeah, but I figure Mom will come in telling us to go before its over." Sota promptly turned his attention back to the screen, letting high quality entertainment equipment take hold of his young mind and enslave it.  
  
Inuyasha came by with the six-pack and set all six can down seperately on ceramic coasters on the coffee table in front of the couch. He then got out three bowls and emptied the chips and pretzels into them. "Popcorn should be done in a minute or two." With that, he grabbed a can of Vanilla Coke and downed half of it in three seconds. He flopped down beside Kagome and leaned back to watch the movie.  
  
Kagome spent the time slowly picking at the pretzels and sipping her drink, trying hard to disguise the fact that she was trying not to look at Inuyasha. They came to the scene where Norman Osborne discovers he is the Green Goblin and begins talking to himself in the mirror.  
  
"Willem Dafoe was creepy as hell in this scene," Inuyasha chuckled.   
  
"He's an incredible actor, isn't he?" Kagome replied, forgetting for a while that she was talking to someone she had claimed to hate for years.  
  
"Ever seen Shadow of the Vampire?" Kagome shook her head and Inuyasha continued. "It's a little artsy, but still a good movie."  
  
The rest of the movie they spent in silence. As the credits scrolled by, Kagome got up and stretched out just as her mother came in. "Kagome, Sota, time to go."  
  
"Okay, Mom," Sota said disappointedly. "I'll see you around, Inuyasha."  
  
"Take care of yourself, kid," Inuyasha said with a smirk.  
  
As Mrs. Higurashi and Sota left the room, Kagome was about to follow them, but she hesitated at the last second. She glanced over her shoulder at Inuyasha who was tossing empty cans into a wastebasket across the room, never missing once. "Inuyasha?"  
  
The silver-haired boy turned to face her, a curious look on his face. "What's up?"  
  
"I just wanted to say... that song you played for us... You were really good."  
  
Inuyasha stared at her strangely for a moment, before his features softened and he smiled slightly. "Thanks, Kagome."  
  
As Kagome slipped out of the room, she couldn't help but think about the smile Inuyasha had given her. And what's more, Inuyasha had actually said her name. She couldn't remember him ever having done that. She definitely would need to talk to somebody about this.  
  
*****************************  
  
Inuyasha 's smile lingered even after Kagome had left. 'I guess I was wrong about her. It just got so easy to think that...' His thoughts trailed off a moment and he shook his head to clear it.  
  
'Maybe I should talk to someone about this. It's helped before.' With that, Inuyasha walked out to say goodbye to the Higurashis and hopefully talk to Sesshoumaru once they left. 


	6. What You Say About His Company Is What Y

Author's Notes: Beware! I LIVE!! Thank you all for the abundant feedback. I really appreciate all of it. I've heard people give high praise and a few of their own musings as well as a request or two. At this this time, I'd like to give a few general responses.  
A lot of people want more attention given to the other characters. Worry not, this chapter will give us some insight into the workings of Miroku and Sango and the next chapter will be mindless Shippo/Kirara fluff that you all keep asking for.  
I've been asked why the story is rated R. The answer: for foul language and violence down the road. Though I usually make things up as I go (as I've state before) there are a few things I'd like to put in, some of which are a little messy. Without giving spoilers, suffice to say that the band will wind up in a rather unpleasant incident, Inuyasha will have a showdown that I think several people might already be expecting, and (for those of you who want to hear something more positive) there will be a very sappy scene that tells you all why the story is called Let the Music Be Your Master (though I think some of you may already have a guess).  
Saro commented that she found it surprising that Inuyasha and Miroku had no noticeable female company. I am aware of the whole thing with angst-ridden boys attracting optimistic girls. I went through that phase in my freshmen year when half the cheerleading squad adored me for my mysterious attitude. That issue will be further addressed in this chapter, but bear in mind that Inuyasha has his birth defect, social stigma, and the only side of himself he shows in public is his violent streak. Miroku also has his creepy mysticism that scares a lot of people off and he has his unpleasant reputation as a skirt-chaser. That tends to ruin one's social life. The angst-thing will only get you so far.  
On a smaller note, slight apology to Ama for that gender mix-up. I've gotten into a bad habit of thinking I'm one of the few remaining male writers of anything vaguely romantic. It's rare for a guy to be straight and a hopeless romantic like I am, at least where I come from. God, I hate this town. (No offense meant to gays by that, by the way. Some of the coolest people in the world are gay. Ian McKellan, for example.)  
Finally, I'm pleased to know you all enjoy the unusual directions I'm taking this thing in. I find myself doing things differently sometimes for the hell of it. Expect more of that.  
Anyway, moving on...  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 6: What You Say About His Company Is What You Say About Society  
  
Miroku calmly plucked at his bass, not really paying attention to what he was playing. That was actually how he came up with Otherworld. Today, however, it was because he was distracted. Shippo was chattering endlessly about Kirara once more, despite the fact that no one was listening. The boy was lovestruck in less than a couple days, faster than Miroku had ever seen anyone fall for someone. What was eerie was that Kirara seemed to feel the same way. (AN: I actually know two people who started dating within 24 hours of meeting each other.) Why couldn't they just go make out in a corner somewhere and get it overwith?  
  
Inuyasha, on the other hand, wasn't behaving like himself. He played the songs as well as he always did, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere. Right now, they were taking a break and Inuyasha was just standing there staring at his guitar like the secrets of the universe could be found within the strings. "You feeling alright?" Miroku asked carefully.  
  
Inuyasha looked up to his friends and sighed. "Of course I am," he said snidely, though his heart wasn't in it.  
  
"You want to talk about it?" Miroku set his bass down and leaned back into one of the patio chairs they had dragged into the garage weeks ago.  
  
Inuyasha paused uncomfortably as he set his guitar down. He scratched at one of his ears in a rather obvious attempt to stall.  
  
"Let me guess," Miroku said, "woman troubles?"  
  
Inuyasha turned to Miroku in surprise. "How the hell do you do that?"  
  
"It's not that difficult to figure out," Miroku said matter-of-factly. "The Higurashis visit yesterday evening and the next day you seem to have let your mind wander without a leash, compass, or even a trail of bread crumbs."  
  
Shippo snickered slightly but quickly silenced himself when Inuyasha sent him a dark glare. "Miroku's right, you know. There are only two people in the world who can get to you, and that's Koga and Kagome. And since Koga only makes you violent and irritable, guess who that leaves?"  
  
"We know you too well, Inuyasha." Miroku cleared his throat and turned serious. "However, if there is something bothering you, you know you can tell us anything. If anyone can keep a secret it's you, Shippo, and myself."  
  
Inuyasha stared at them for a moment as if sizing them up for a fight then sighed in defeat and retold the events of last night.  
  
Miroku was particularly surprised to hear that Kagome had actually complimented Inuyasha on something. There was more to this girl than met the eye.  
  
"So that's what happened," Inuyasha finished. "I tried to talk to Sessh about it, but he went to sleep as soon as they left. Looked like he was on friggin' Cloud Nine."  
  
Miroku sat thoughtfully for a moment. There were a lot of possible explanations for Kagome's behavior, but one in particular stood out. "I think Kagome acted the way she did because she's finally starting to see that you really don't need a collar and tags."  
  
"Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha snarled.  
  
"It means," Shippo chimed in, "that she started looking at you differently. Remember what Kirara said on her first day? The only reason people treat us the way they do is because they don't think of us as being as human as them. You just had it rough because of your ears."  
  
"Shippo's right." Miroku folded his arms over his chest and looked up at Inuyasha. "You're visible differences made it easier for people to think of you as less than human. That's what we've been studying in History, if you recall. If someone looks obviously different from you, they're easier to hate."  
  
Inuyasha calmed down and flopped into a chair of his own. "I guess you're right. I wonder if this time it'll last a little longer."  
  
"You seem oddly hung up on this, though," Miroku said gently. "Is there something else to this?" Miroku knew that look. He had seen it before on his own face in the mirror too many times and he was beginning to get an idea of what was going on.  
  
There was a long awkward silence. Inuyasha was staring at the floor and hardly seemed to breathe. Finally, he folded his arms over his chest and frowned. "Feh. I don't know."  
  
"Confused?" Miroku asked softly.  
  
There was another pause before Inuyasha lifted his eyes to his friends. "Yeah," he admitted reluctantly.  
  
"Why don't we get back to practicing? We can talk more later when you've had some time to think things through." With that, Miroku stood up and readied his bass. As Shippo and Inuyasha got ready themselves, Miroku wondered just how he could help his friend this time. Inuyasha didn't know what was going on, and communication wasn't his strong suit. Miroku would have to find other means to help his oldest friend clear his mind and work out this new problem.  
  
**************************  
  
Sango was trying her hardest to finish the essay she'd been assigned to write for Literature. Their teacher was a Lord of the Rings geek and after spending most of the year making them slowly read through the trilogy, he had stuck them with a five page essay on Celtic legends and how they influenced Tolkien. Not that Sango didn't like the books, but this was just plain irritating.  
  
From downstairs, she could hear her brother Kohaku, along with Sota and Rin playing Soul Caliber on the Dreamcast. Kohaku and Sota were always trying to beat one another at that game and Rin cheering them on every match didn't help. The essay was due in three days, and Sango still had to write another page. If those three didn't shut up, she may never finish.  
  
She heard the phone ring from downstairs and the shouting came to a halt. She heard her brother's muffled voice when the ringing stopped and after a slight pause...  
  
"SANGO!! PHONE!!" After that, the battle resumed.  
  
With a sigh, Sango hauled herself up, dashed out of her room, downstairs, snatched up the phone, raced back to her room, and shut the door behind her, leaning against it in relief. She really did not trust herself to make eye contact with any of the three children downstairs right now. She lifted the phone to her ear slowly. "Hello?"  
  
"Sango?" It was Kagome.  
  
"Hey, Kagome!" Sango felt her spirits lift slightly. At least now she had an excuse not to try and work through the chaos downstairs. "How are you doing?"  
  
"Actually, Sango, I need to talk to you about something important." Kagome sounded distant, nervous. That was unusual. Normally she was very sure of herself and full of life. Now her voice was filled with self-doubt.  
  
"What's wrong?" Sango felt a little worried. She got a slightly nervous feeling and wondered if her friend was hurt. "It's nothing serious is it?"  
  
"No," Kagome replied, "but I just need to get this off my shoulders. Let me explain..." And explain she did. In great detail. "...and when I got in the car, I looked back and he was right at the door looking at me and smiling again."  
  
"Wow," Sango said in awe after the story was finished. "Inuyasha smiling. There's a mental picture I have a hard time with. And you say he was being a perfectly nice guy the whole night?"  
  
"Yes, he was. I've never seen him like that before. You should have seen how he actually acted like a big brother to Sota! I heard my mom saying at breakfast that if Inuyasha agrees, she'd pay him to teach Sota how to play guitar!"  
  
"You're serious?!" Sango had a hard time believing this, but Kagome wasn't lying. She wasn't even stretching the truth. If Inuyasha had a softer side, what did that mean about the rest of the school's outcasts? Did that mean Miroku was actualy telling the truth when he said he wasn't trying to cop a feel or doing something else really perverted to her?... Okay, maybe that was stretching it a little bit, but still.  
  
"Very serious. Here's the worst part, though..." Kagome paused as if gathering up the courage to continue. "After Inuyasha was so nice to all of us last night, I... I kinda... feel bad about the way I've been treating him all these years."  
  
Sango was shocked. Never, ever, not even once did she imagine she would hear something like that from Kagome. "Why?"  
  
"I don't know," Kagome said defensively. "I just... do. The whole night he acted as if I had never done anything to him. He acted as if... as if it didn't matter anymore. Now I feel really guilty about all those things I said to him and all those rumors I started about him..."  
  
Sango was beginning to see her friend's point. Knowing Kagome, she would have pitched a fit about having to spend the evening with the Morimotos, but Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had been perfectly civil, even charming, hosts. That would tug at anyone's conscience. "You feel pretty confused, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah," Kagome admitted softly. A comfortable silence set in for a moment. "Sango?"  
  
"Yeah, Kagome?"  
  
"I need to get my mind off of this. Do you have any plans for today?" Kagome sounded very hopeful.  
  
Sango glanced up at her desk with the unfinished essay. It was a pretty clear choice. Stay here and not finish the essay with her brother and his friends making all that noise, or not finish the essay and go out to help comfort her friend. At least some decisions were easier than others. "No, not really. You want to go someplace?"  
  
"Yeah. How about the mall at the waterfront? We haven't been there in a while."  
  
"Sure. I'll be at your house in about ten minutes."  
  
**************************  
  
The boys found themselves in the arcade at the waterfront mall a half-hour later. Miroku, in an attempt to help a distracted Inuyasha who was starting to have a hard time focusing on his music, suggested they grab a couple twenties, go down to their favorite arcade, and blow off steam by going to an FPS and destroying everything that moved.  
  
Naturally, Shippo was very insistent they bring Kirara along, threatening to start turning his devious, scheming little mind on them if they didn't comply. Miroku and Inuyasha were quick to agree after that.  
  
What they weren't expecting was that Kirara would challenge them to Soul Caliber and kick their asses without breaking a sweat.  
  
"Damn it!" Inuyasha cursed as Seung Mina knocked Siegfried out for the umpteenth time. "How the hell do you do that?!"  
  
Shippo, who had been standing behind Kirara with his arms around her waist the whole match, giggled childishly and kissed her cheek. "They're just sore losers."  
  
"Eat me," Inuyasha snarled under his breath.  
  
Miroku simply sighed and stepped up to take his turn. "You don't help your case when you do that," he kindly reminded Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha merely made a rude gesture and stalked off. "I gotta get something to eat. See you in a few."  
  
Miroku selected Kilik with a smirk and proceeded to have Sophitia beat him into the ground. "Damn," he cursed softly. "I would ask for best seven out of thirteen, but there are other things I'd like to waste my money on."  
  
Kirara leaned back into Shippo and smirked proudly. "Whatever you say. I'll humor your fragile male ego this time."  
  
As the two freshmen walked off with their arms around each other's waists, Miroku somehow doubted they would be lacking for entertainment. Shippo was a very lucky man.  
  
Miroku mused for a moment on how a lot of girls at the school would jump at the chance to go out with him, all of whom were among the outcast demographic, but he never took any of them up on any of their offers. For many, it was the biggest paradox in the world. Here was a guy with a reputation for womanizing, and yet they had never actually seen him out with anyone. So far, not one rumor or theory and even touched close to the truth.  
  
As Miroku casually strolled out of the arcade to grab a coffee, he felt his chest tighten slightly at that hidden truth. The fact of the matter was, he had met Sango Nanasawa at daycare way back when they were only five. He immediately developed his first boyish crush and tried to impress her, but she hardly seemed interested. He saw her at daycare every day for about six months before she just stopped coming. As much as a little boy could be, Miroku felt heartbroken. He had tried his hardest to show Sango he liked her, and she vanished from his life before even realizing he was there.  
  
He didn't see her again until they ended up in the same third grade class. It was the same year he had met Inuyasha if Miroku remembered correctly. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and in the little boy's case, it was very true. Miroku was overjoyed at having found Sango again and immediately set about trying all over again to get her attention and win her over. And so he would continue for two years.  
  
Miroku could remember quite well the day everything took a turn for the worst. It was in fifth grade, when Inuyasha had finally admitted to Miroku, his only friend then, that he had a crush on Kagome Higurashi.  
  
One day, a boy started teasing Kagome and calling her names. Inuyasha tried to stand up for her, but Kagome only got even more enraged and started screaming at Inuyasha that she didn't want or need his help.  
  
Miroku, naturally, tried to defend his best friend, saying that Inuyasha was only trying to help, but that's when Sango came in and started yelling at him. She told them both to leave Kagome alone and not get in her way then slapped the two boys smartly and stormed off with her friend.  
  
Before Sango left, however, she turned back over her shoulder and told Miroku to stop following her around, that he was beginning to scare her and that she hated him. Upon the revelation that Sango really had noticed him all this time, but had never liked him, Miroku felt his heart break all over again.  
  
The years dragged on, but Miroku couldn't bring himself to forget Sango. Something about her, something he couldn't quite place, would not let him. He was only torturing himself, he knew, but he could not make himself give up. To this day, Miroku refused to let another woman into his life because there was simply no room.  
  
An odd thing to think about, right now. Usually he thought about it during one particular song. He and Inuyasha wrote their second song, So Much Glass, based on those experiences and it was often the only time Miroku could ever allow himself to think of his hopeless situation.  
  
At that moment, he swore that fate must have some strange agenda in mind for him, because who should be walking down the sidewalk right now but Sango herself accompanied by Kagome. The problem with open-air malls like this was it wasn't nearly as easy to lose yourself in a crowd.  
  
Seeing no way out, Miroku simply swallowed back the tightening grip on his chest and prepared himself for another painful encounter with the woman he cared so much for.  
  
**************************  
  
Sango was much happier now to see Kagome in bright spirits again. It bothered her to see anyone troubled or upset. She much preferred to see a smile on people's faces. She had gone through her own share of hardships in the past, so she tried to help her friends in any way she could whenever they needed her.  
  
However, her luck seemed to be changing once again when she spotted ahead of her the most infuriating person on earth: Miroku Watanabe. Try as she might, Sango could not figure him out. He seemed to be some kind of freaky stalker back in elementary school before she told him off in fifth grade, but after that, it was as if the boy's spark of life had been snuffed. He gradually grew more and more detached and distant.  
  
Sango seemed to be the only one who didn't buy into his tormented, angsty act, though this year she had to wonder if it really was an act. He seemed so cold sometimes, as if he didn't care whether it was night or day, life or death. Only when he was around his friends did there seem to be any life left to Miroku. That or when he was groping some girl.  
  
Kagome seemed to catch on to what was bothering Sango and spotted Miroku slowly walking out of the arcade toward them. Both girls schooled their faces into expressionless masks and continued on walking. The three closed in on each other, and it seemed Miroku had no intention of stepping aside for either of them. 'Typical guy,' Sango thought. Her expriences with men had left her a little cold to the idea of romance and she thought she might simply stay single her whole life.  
  
The distance continued to shrink, and none of the three showed any intention of standing aside. Any second now. Sango braced herself, preparing to slam her shoulder against Miroku when he passed by so that she wouldn't have to move for him, but that idea literally fell flat on its face. At the last second, Miroku seemed to have a change of heart and stepped away, leaving Sango with a lot of pent-up momentum in her shoulder and an inconvenient loss of balance. She came crashing to the ground in an instant and was seething inside as she heard a crowd to her left laughing.  
  
"Sango, are you okay?" came Kagome's voice from the left.  
  
"Shut up and get on with your lives," she heard Miroku shout to the unseen crowd. "It was my fault. Besides, I thought you people preferred me as a target." Miroku said the last sentence almost challengingly as Sango picked herself up.  
  
"Go have sex with yourself, queer!" one guy shouted back.  
  
"Oh, you'd like to see that, wouldn't you?" Miroku shot back. "After all, you know what they say about homophobes!"  
  
That certainly got them to back off. Sango saw their retreating backs before she turned back to Miroku who was smirking coolly with his hands shoved in the pockets of his duster coat. "I don't need your help," she spat.  
  
Miroku's smirk immediately fell and his face once again became devoid of emotion. "You're welcome, princess," he said flatly.  
  
"If you wanted to help, then why didn't you give me a hand?" Sango challenged putting her hands on her hips. What was this guy's problem?  
  
"Because you would've slapped the bejeezus out of me for touching you." There was no mocking or spite in his voice. Only a cold monotone that Sango knew was only to drive home the fact that she knew he was right. If he had tried to help her up, she would have beaten him senseless.  
  
Sango opened her mouth to speak, but Miroku turned his gaze from her to the arcade. A new song was playing and he smirked softly. "The song about me," he practically whispered.  
  
Before Sango could react, Miroku turned on his heel and strode off back to the arcade, singing along to the song.  
  
A modern-day warrior,  
Mean, mean stride.  
Today's Tom Sawyer,  
Mean, mean pride.  
  
Though his mind is not for rent,  
Don't put him down as arrogant.  
His reserve a quiet defense,  
Riding out the day's events.  
The river!  
  
"Hey!" Sango shouted indignantly. Ignoring Kagome's protests, she followed after Miroku, ready to kill him for blowing her off like that. On the other hand, why was it that important? She didn't care what he thought, did she? No! No, she just wanted to make sure he understood that no one interrupts her.  
  
Miroku stopped at the entrance of the arcade and turned to face Sango again, still singing along with the song.  
  
What you say about his company,  
Is what you say about society!  
Catch the mist, catch the myth,  
Catch the mystery, catch the drift.  
  
Miroku gave her a very intense look, as if daring her to try and figure out what he was getting at.  
  
Sango stared back at him for a minute, unable to figure out what it was he wanted from her. What was he getting at? She was beginning to feel a little uneasy. He had never acted like this before.  
  
The world is, the world is,  
Love and life are deep.  
Maybe as his skies,  
Are wide.  
  
"Kagome can treat Inuyasha like a human," he said suddenly. Sango heard Kagome gasp from behind her, obvbiously terrified to see that other people knew about last night's events. "Why can't you do the same for me?"  
  
With that cryptic thought, he turned again and disappeared quickly into the arcade. Sango just stood rooted to the spot in confusion. 'What just happened?' she thought.  
  
**************************  
  
'That'll give her something to think about,' Miroku thought proudly. He wasn't quite sure why he did what he did, but it felt good. Maybe this would teach her something about him... or not. Most likely she would go to her grave never knowing anything about made Miroku tick. There's a depressing thought.  
  
He wandered the arcade aimlessly for a minute, searching for a sign of his friends. The music continued on. Tom Sawyer by Rush really was a song about him. It reminded Miroku so much of himself, at least how he percieved himself, that he would even go so far as to call it a theme song.  
  
Today's Tom Sawyer,  
He gets high on you,  
And the space he invades,  
He gets by on you.  
  
No, his mind is not for rent,  
To any god or government.  
Always hopeful yet discontent,  
He knows changes aren't permanent.  
But changes are!  
  
And what you say about his company,  
Is what you say about society!  
Catch the witness, catch the wit,  
Catch the spirit, catch the spit.  
  
The world is, the world is,  
Love and life are deep.  
Maybe as his eyes,  
Are wide.  
  
Exit the warrior,  
Today's Tom Sawyer.  
He gets high on you,  
And the energy he trades,  
He gets right on to the friction of the day.  
  
Good old Rush. Miroku's favorite band. A trio of Canadians that could always sing him to enlightenment. Geddy Lee was the whole reason he took up the bass, partly because the man was one of the few musicians who could play bass guitar and not be thought of as the loser of his group.  
  
The next song to come on certainly made finding two of his friends easier. Two loud whoops stood out above the din of the arcade as the speakers started playing All My Best Friends Are Metal Heads, a song which just about skate park, video arcade, and trendy clothing shop was required to play at least once daily.  
  
Following the sound of the high-pitched cries of joy, Miroku soon found Shippo and Kirara attracting an audience as they stood directly underneath one of the speakers and danced together to the music. The sight was at once funny as hell, annoying, and really cute.  
  
"Christ, those two are starting to make me sick."  
  
Miroku started slightly and glanced over his shoulder to see Inuyasha. "Where did you come from?"  
  
"Somewhere else," he remarked casually.   
  
*************************  
  
Sango couldn't get what Miroku had said out of her head. 'Kagome can treat Inuyasha like a human. Why can't you do the same for me?' He was just playing mind games, trying to get to her. Had to be. Then why was it working?  
  
Sango glanced over at Kagome who now was looking very interested in the arcade. She turned to see what was so strange and saw a crowd of people gathered around someone or something unseen. (AN: The arcade is open-air with sliding glass doors for bad weather.) "What's going on over there?"  
  
"I don't know. Want to find out?" Without waiting for an answer, Kagome walked over to the arcade and started pushing the crowd aside.  
  
Was everyone determined to ditch her today? Sango growled in frustration and proceeded to roughly shoulder her way through the mass of people to her destination. Once she joined Kagome toward the inside of the circle, however, she had to hold back a powerful attack of laughter. Underneath a speaker blasting a very familiar song stood Shippo and Kirara who were dancing like maniacs.  
  
Sango and Kagome looked at one another and did their best to hide the smiles they couldn't supress. Even if they didn't like Shippo and Kirara had ditched them to hang out with a bunch of dregs, the whole thing was still very funny.  
  
The song went on for another couple minutes, during which time the two girls lost control and burst into fits of laughter. What Sango wouldn't have given for a camera right about then. They calmed down as the song wound to a close and Kirara pulled Shippo down into a very passionate kiss which he was quick to return. 'Damn,' Sango thought as she settled herself, 'those two really hit it off.'  
  
Suddenly, Inuyasha and Miroku emerged from the crowd, but stopped dead when they saw Kagome and Sango. They remained still as the crowd began to disperse. Sango could easily tell that Kagome, Inuyasha, and Miroku were all thinking exactly what she was thinking. 'Oh hell. This won't end well.' 


	7. Not That You Knew Me Back Then

Author's Notes: ALL OF NATURE TREMBLES AT MY PASSING!! But only in the mornings before I've had a shower and breakfast to keep me human. I return once again with a new chapter that is both deep and filled with fluff. Like a really comfortable feather bed at that.  
A couple of my reviewers mentioned they thought the scene with Miroku singing along to Tom Sawyer was a little cliche, and in hindsight I agree. While writing the scene, I was on a bit of a high from all the praise I was getting, and chapter 6 ended up with flaws in it that I didn't catch until I came down from my self-appreciating high. It seemed like a good idea at the time because I wasn't watching out.  
This is far too easy a trap to fall into, and I hope I won't make that mistake again. Since I promised myself not to do revisions until the story was finished, I'll simply have to use future chapters to make the best of my mistakes. What's done is done.  
Yes, I know I made both Kagome and Sango a little heartless... Okay, really heartless with perpetual PMS. But I managed to catch myself with Kagome in time and fixed my mistake. Now I have a chance to do the same with Sango before its too late. Don't worry, I'll give a (hopefully) good explanation for their behaviour.  
Mistakes were made, I'll admit, but at least I've learned from them. After realizing how cliche some of the scenes in the story were, I thought ahead and started to alter, tweak, even scrap ideas I had for the future because I was able to see they too would have been mistakes.  
Hopefully, this means that Let the Music Be Your Master will turn out for the best.  
Thank you.  
Couple last notes. Spada Ken suggested a Yura/Naraku pairing. Hmm... Never thought of that. Wonder if I could make it work. When I created my Soul Calibur story Kidred Spirits, I shot for originality with a Siegfried/Taki pairing, and although I consider it one of my most cliched and flawed works of all time, people still liked it. Maybe...  
Also, I'd love to talk with some of you by e-mail, but you'll have to be patient. I just started a new job and besides that I'm very lazy at responding to messages.  
New job also means slower updates. They're swamped and desperate for help so I'll be working long hours for a couple weeks. And the first two weeks of April I'll be out of the country, so you'll all just have to be patient.  
  
Let The Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 7: Not That You Knew Me Back Then  
  
The few seconds it took for Kirara and Shippo to break the vacuum seal on their lips seemed like hours to Sango. She was aware of a suddenly tense Kagome beside her, but her attention was really on a very apprehensive Miroku. She saw something familiar in his eyes, but she couldn't place it, giving her the strangest feeling of deja vu. Then it hit her: fear. That was fear in his eyes. Not fear of pain or physical punishment, but of mental and emotional punishment. He was more afraid of what she would say than what she would do. Was she really that abusive? Sango remembered seeing that look in his eyes several times before. Not often, but it had been there. Always when she was preparing to give him a tongue-lashing he would never forget.  
  
'Okay,' she thought, 'so maybe he does still have emotions under that blank look.' Sango was beginning to wish she was anywhere but here. She never imagined she was doing Miroku any kind of damage when she yelled at him or smacked him around. But that was probably because she was too busy being pissed off to think about it. Now that Sango was the one who was scared of him, was the one trying to figure out what he was thinking and what he would do next, she saw for the first time just how much he was afraid of this encounter.  
  
'Great. I probably wouldn't have thought of this if Kirara hadn't put that doubt in my head the other day. If she hadn't said all that stuff, I could go on happily not caring.' Sango knew this wasn't true. She knew she would rather have found out about this than remain ignorant the rest of her life and continuing to abuse Miroku gratuitously.  
  
*******************************  
  
Kagome saw Inuyasha and began to panic. First, Miroku shows that he knows what happened last night, and now she comes face-to-face with the last person on the planet she wants to come into contact with.  
  
Her mind was screaming 'RUN!' but her conscience said otherwise. After all, this was bound to happen sooner or later, wasn't it? She'd have to face Inuyasha at school anyway, and it would be better to try and get it overwith now than wait until she had to talk to him in class.  
  
All Kagome had to do was get him alone for a minute and... get him alone for a minute with his friends around and... get him alone for a minute with his friends around in a public place and... 'Okay, this is going to be harder than I thought,' she said silently.  
  
*******************************  
  
Miroku was panicking inside. He really had no desire to go through another encounter with Sango so soon after he had dropped a message to her about his feelings that was about as subtle as a bulldozer. Now what?  
  
He began thinking of an escape, but only drew a blank. Sango just stared at him, and those eyes he could not tear himself away from just stayed still as they scanned him. It was like waiting for a tiger to pounce. You didn't dare move for fear of provoking it, but it was just going to lunge any second now anyway, wasn't it?  
  
'How did I get into this?' If there had been a wall close enough, Miroku was fairly certain he would now be banging his head against it, though whether out of panic and frustration or an attempt to knock himself out and escape this little fiasco, he wasn't certain.  
  
*******************************  
  
'Damn it, damn it, son of a bitch! Damn it, damn it, son of a bitch!' Inuyasha kept this little inner mantra up a few times before changing to a new one. 'I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm oh so incredibly screwed beyond human comprehension.' When that became too much of a pain to keep repeating, he silenced his inner monologue and started thinking of what he should do next.  
  
It was hard to think, though, with those beautiful grey eyes staring at him... 'Okay, fine, I admit it! I like her eyes!' Those eyes had been his favorite thing about her physically back when he still had his crush on her. But this was hardly a time to be thinking about that.  
  
Inuyasha shook his head slightly to clear it and once again scrambled for something to break the ice with. His mind, however, was completely blank. 'Stupid brain!'  
  
*******************************  
  
Shippo slowly broke away from the kiss when the need for air over-rode his hormones. For a while, a smiling and somewhat breathless Kirara was the only thing he saw and he was well aware that he must have had one very silly-looking grin on his lips. How had this girl managed to make him fall for her this far, this fast? Oh well. Shippo sure as hell wasn't about to complain.  
  
He noticed, however, that there was a certain tension in the atmosphere. He and Kirara looked up to see Inuyasha and Miroku staring intently, and rather anxiously, at Kagome and Sango respectively. Also, the two girls had similar looks as they stared back at the boys.  
  
"Oh dear," Kirara said softly. "Looks like it's up to us to break this up, sweetling."  
  
Shippo couldn't keep the grin off his at the little pet name Kirara had given him, but kept his wits for the time being, knowing this was important. "You take Kagome and Sango, I'll handle Inuyasha and Miroku."  
  
"Agreed. Meet back here in fifteen minutes then follow my lead." At that, she slipped out of his arms and gave him a wink before walking up to the girls. "Kagome! Sango! Hi!"  
  
Shippo chuckled softly, feeling lucky to have such a wonderful girl in his life. He nonchalantly strolled up to the boys and chuckled at their intense focus on the subjects of their attention. "Hey, guys. Got a minute?"  
  
At that, Inuyasha and Miroku snapped out of their trance and looked at Shippo as if he had just grown a new head. "I'll take that as a yes," Shippo remarked and draped his arms over the shoulders of his two friends, no easy feat given his height in comparison to theirs. "Come with me, and you may find your luck beginning to change."  
  
Shippo couldn't help but grin at the confused looks his friends gave him as he steered them out of the arcade and toward the boardwalk just past the mall. Of course, Kirara was already leading the girls away in another direction, so it wasn't as if they had a choice but to follow Shippo.  
  
*******************************  
  
Kirara led the girls by their wrists out of the arcade and toward a garden facing the beach. There were advantages to having a psychologist for a father. She knew rather well what was going on. Kagome and Sango were reconsidering their views on Inuyasha and Miroku. She wasn't quite sure how it had happened, but she intended to find out.  
  
One thing anyone who knew Kirara had to remember was that she was very observant, and very intelligent. She had already discovered the boys' secret band. It really wasn't that hard to figure out, what with their obsession with music coupled with the fact they always seemed to be at Inuyasha's house for several hours every day. And besides that, she had noticed Shippo's arms and shoulders were very well-toned, and had noticed the thick callusses on Inuyasha and Miroku's fingertips the first time she shook hands with them. Put it all together and it was pretty obvious what they were up to.  
  
Right now, however, she was intent on getting these two girls, whose only flaw was their short-sightedness, to see what had been staring them in the face all these years (and just a minute ago, literally). "So, what happened between you and the boys?" Subtlety be damned. Kirara wanted answers, and she was going to get them one way or another.  
  
Kagome and Sango flinched as if they had been slapped. They looked to each other in desperation, obviously wishing they could run. Kirara put an expression on her face, however, that clearly told them that if they backed away now, she would never let them hear the end of it.  
  
Kagome swallowed audibly and wrung her hands. "Do you promise not to tell anyone else what I'm about to tell you?" If you're going to be coerced into talking, might as well know who's going to hear it. Human beings always took some small degree of comfort in knowing this sort of thing.  
  
"I promise. Not a word of this passes my lips, though I think there are others who need to hear it more than me."  
  
Kagome stalled another moment, staring at the ground. She slowly began to retell the story of last night. How she had complained and yelled about how unbearable it would be to have to spend an evening with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, both of whom she could not stand. How Sesshoumaru was being perfectly polite, even if he still acted a little too regal. How Inuyasha was so nice to Sota and didn't say or do anything rude or inappropriate all night. She retold the little performance Inuyasha gave on his guitar. And finally, Kagome told Kirara about how he was being so nice at the end of the night, actually saying her name and smiling at her.  
  
As previously mentioned, Kirara was very sharp, very observant, and very intelligent. However, she would need to carefully dig a little more to see if her theory was right. This would require a lot of gentle probing and a fair amount of tact. "You feel pretty guilty about these last few years, don't you?" Okay, maybe tact was over-rated.  
  
Kagome nodded sadly, clearly not at all pleased with even admitting it to herself, much less Kirara. "Yeah. I can't understand why he would be so nice to me after all I've done to him."  
  
Now it was time to figrue out how all this started. "Just why did you treat him like you did, anyway? How did this whole thing start?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Kagome admitted. "I remember that before third grade, I just really didn't care. People always pushed him around, but it wasn't my problem."  
  
Kirara was beginning to get an idea. "You didn't want to hurt him, but at the same time, you were afraid to stand up for him against the others, am I right?"  
  
There was a pause as the three girls took a seat on a nearby bench. "I guess so," Kagome finally answered.  
  
'Good,' Kirara thought. 'Now we're getting somewhere.' She carefully thought about what she should say next. "When did things between you two go sour?"  
  
"I think it was about third grade. He stopped coming to school for about a month and no one heard from him. Now that I think about it, he seemed really different when he came back. It was like a part of him was destroyed. I just found out about a week ago that he missed all that school because his mother died and he just couldn't stand losing her. When people started pushing him around again, he started fighting back."  
  
"Inuyasha seems to have gotten preternatural strength and speed from his birth defect. A trade-off for the social stigma, it seems. I imagine getting in a fight with him must be brutal." Kirara folded her arms over her chest. She had to be patient.  
  
Kagome nodded. "I've seen him fight before. You don't stand a chance. It didn't stop people from trying though. I guess I got kind of... scared of him."  
  
******************************  
  
Kagome felt like her insides were twisting into knots. Why hadn't she thought of any of this before? She just took her dislike for Inuyasha for granted and never stopped to consider why she shunned him. Kikyo was right. Kagome had been trying too hard to avoid him when he had done nothing. To her at least.  
  
"So you turned away from him out of fear?" Kirara asked gently.  
  
"No, not really," Kagome said trying to keep her voice steady. "I guess it just made me keep my distance. Come to think of it, I don't think Inuyasha ever once laid a finger on a girl. He actually seemed pretty nervous around us. I guess it was kind of silly to be so afraid of him." The guilt returned with a vengeance. Why, oh why, in the name of all things sacred and holy did guilt have to feel this bad? It was the worst emotion ever!  
  
"Then why did you start treating him so badly?" The girl was persistent if nothing else.  
  
Kagome tried to gather her thoughts again. "I remember back in fifth grade I had this crush on a boy in my class. He played baseball, hung out with the popular kids, and practically had a fan club. I tried to get his attention but nothing worked. One day he was calling me names and teasing me... I got so upset that I broke down and cried. I felt so heartbroken that he could be so mean to me. And for no reason!  
  
"Then Inuyasha came up and started threatening him, yelling at him for making me cry. I'd never seen him so ticked before, I thought he was going to rip the boy open right there! The problem wass, I still felt like I should defend my crush and I started yelling at Inuyasha. I told him to stay away and keep out of my business."  
  
Sango then looked up from staring at her lap. "That's when Miroku came to Inuyasha's defense and I came to tell them both off."  
  
Kirara nodded as if she held a wisdom beyond her years. "Kagome, you have a talent for over-looking the obvious."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome huffed. Just what did she mean by 'overlooking the obvious?'  
  
"I mean that Inuyasha had a crush on you," Kirara said simply.  
  
Kagome felt her heart skip a beat. Inuyasha had a crush on her? Is that why he came to her defense when no one else would? She thought back to her memories of that day and could now clearly remember the look on his face when she and Sango stormed out. He looked like a kicked puppy, like she had just done something unbelievably cruel to him. "No way," she whispered.  
  
"You have to admit, it makes perfect sense," Kirara insisted. "Why else would he stand up for you when he had never done anything like that for anyone else before? Do you remember how he acted after you yelled at him?"  
  
Kagome swallowed audibly. She was learning more about herself and Inuyasha in about a week than she had in all the time they had known each other before that. "Sort of," she half-lied.  
  
"Did he look upset, angry, crushed, what?"  
  
Kagome hesitated to answer. But Kirara would not stop staring at her, waiting for an answer. The girl was like a cat waiting for the mouse. "Crushed," Kagome mumbled.  
  
"You see?" Kirara said it as more of a statement than a question. She had a tone as if she were saying the sky was blue. "What happened from there?"  
  
"Well..." Kagome tried to organize the events after her first fight with Inuyasha and see where things continued going downhill. "After that I was pretty mad at him. I started joining the other kids in calling him names to get even. But after that they started being my friends so I kept up the act. In middle school I met Koga who was on the track team and he started hanging out with us. He was always crueler to Inuyasha than the rest of us, and Inuyasha hated him with a passion. Still does.  
  
"Inuyasha started acting violent again when we got to high school and sent two boys to the hospital with broken bones. Ever since then, every time he saw me it was like he was waiting for me to bite his head off. I think he stopped trusting everyone but Miroku, Naraku, and his brother." It was then Kagome had a strangely enlightened moment. "Almost like he didn't want to risk trusting anyone else. He didn't want to get close because he was afraid of being hurt after his mother died and I started being mean to him. So he started acting like the animal we always told him he was."  
  
Kagome looked to Sango and Kirara, stunned at this revelation. Sango had a shocked look on her face that showed she was thinking the same thing. Kirara simply nodded and looked to Kagome with a look in her eyes that seemed to say 'Now you get it.' Kagome felt an incredible rush of regret and guilt. It took her this long to figure this out?  
  
As if she could read minds, Kirara shook her head. "You never thought about it enough to make the connection," she said softly. "We all make mistakes. What I want to know, is why you let yourself continue to treat him so poorly when it was obviously no longer necessary."  
  
With her newfound wisdom, Kagome found the question much easier to answer now. "I guess it was because I convinced myself I hated him like everybody else. I never actually thought that..."  
  
"I see." Kirara placed a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder. "You know what this means you'll have to do, don't you?"  
  
Kagome nodded. She would have to apologize, and this time for real. She owed the poor boy that much. "I better go find him." It was barely audible, but Kagome knew they would know.  
  
Kirara then turned to Sango as Kagome stood up and walked off. She heard them talking for a moment before their voices faded into the distance. "Are you ready to talk now? Kagome's figured things out, and now its for the best that you do, too. So, just how did things end up so bad between you and Miroku?"  
  
******************************  
  
Meanwhile, Shippo wasn't having nearly as much luck. He was trying to get some answers out of Inuyasha, but he was being stubborn as an ox and refused to talk. "No!"  
  
"Come on, why don't you just tell me what's bugging you so much about this?" Shippo stepped in front of Inuyasha again as the silver-haired boy tried to get away again.  
  
"Don't make me step on you!" Inuyasha growled. "I told you it's nothing!"  
  
"If it's nothing, then why are you being so defensive?"  
  
"I'm not being defensive!"  
  
"Then just tell me!"  
  
"No fuckin' way!"  
  
"Act your age, damn it!"  
  
"Fuck off, half-pint!"  
  
"If you don't tell me, I promise to make the next two months for you just as excruciatingly obnoxious as this moment right here!"  
  
That got his attention. Shippo felt a sense of satisfaction in the brief look of horror that crossed Inuyasha's face before he replaced it with a scowl. "Fine!"  
  
"Good! Now cough it up. I want to know just what about Kagome has your cage so rattled." Shippo folded his arms over his chest and stared intently at Inuyasha. He hoped Miroku wouldn't be as big a baby about this when it was his turn.  
  
"I guess... I guess that... Well, I... Argh! I don't know!" Inuyasha threw his hands up in the air in frustration. Shippo should have known that this was going to be difficult. Not only was Inuyasha often very tight-lipped about his feelings, but he was terrible at expressing himself through any medium other than music.  
  
Shippo growled softly in frustration as Inuyasha turned up the volume on his headphones. This guy was impossible! "I'm waiting!"  
  
"I thought she hated me, okay!" Inuyasha finally shouted. "You and Miroku both know I liked her back in fifth grade and she just spat in my face. She didn't even feel guilty about it! She starts hanging out with my worst enemies, including that Koga bastard, and she just keeps on trying to rip any sense of self-respect I have to shreds. Is it any wonder I turned out as fucked up as I am?!" (AN: Three guesses what song he's listening to.)  
  
Well that did it. He was on a roll now. Inuyasha was always on some kind of an extreme. He was now an avalanche, rushing down the mountainside with no sign of stopping, crushing anything that dared interrupt him. "I'll admit it, I can be jerk-off! I'm a total prick half the time, I know! But what the hell do you people expect from me?!" It was a good thing the boardwalk was deserted and there was no one within earshot. "I'm not going to fuckin' stand by and let those bastards push me around! And Kagome...!"  
  
He paused as if he had no idea how to continue. "She's the worst of all," he finally said, this time lowering his voice to normal. "I never did anything to her, I actually tried to defend her once! And she hates my guts, anyway. Now she's being nice to me, and I just don't know what to think anymore."  
  
"Pretty rough, isn't it?" There had to be more. Shippo just had to figure out how to pry it out.  
  
"That's an understatement," Inuyasha snarled. "What does she want from me? One day she's the bitch queen, then the same day she apologizes, then the next day she's right back where we started, and now she's turned nice again. It's like she's a friggin' schizo! I'm not even sure I'm talking to the same person anymore!"  
  
"Why does this bug you so much?" Shippo was getting impatient. This was good progress, but it wasn't what he was looking for.  
  
"I don't know," Inuyasha snapped. "Something about Kagome just... I can't..." The anger and frustration slowly drifted out of his voice to be replaced by confusion and despair. "The way she treats me... I should hate her. But I don't. I don't know how I feel anymore, I just know that I don't hate her. I've been telling myself I do for the past five years, but I just can't make myself believe it." Inuyasha rested his arms on the wooden railing of the boardwalk and buried his face in them.  
  
"I don't know, but I actually do care what she thinks." His voice was muffled but still audible. "I figured that much out last night. I actually care about whether or not she hates me."  
  
Shippo put his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "What do you plan to do?"  
  
"I don't know." Inuyasha seemed to relax slightly.  
  
******************************  
  
Kagome wandered aimlessly around the mall for a while, trying to spot Inuyasha among the thin crowd. He should be easy to find, shouldn't he?  
  
After a minute or two, Kagome heard faint noises that sounded like shouting. She was always a very curious girl, and this was no exception. She followed the indistinct shouting, wondering just who was yelling and why. She peered around a corner and saw the boardwalk. Thought it was far away, she recognized the three figures standing alone. Miroku was leaning up against the rail and appeared to be fiddling with his beads again. Shippo seemed to be trying to comfort Inuyasha who had his arms on the railing and his face buried in them.  
  
It was now or never. Taking a deep breath for courage, Kagome strode quickly to the boardwalk, clearing her throat to draw the boys' attention. All three looked up at her in surprise and Inuyasha's face went beat red. "Inuyasha," she started shakily, "can I talk to you for a minute?"  
  
"S-sure." He stuttered.  
  
Kagome glanced at Miroku and Shippo for a second. If they could hear, there was no way this would get done. "Alone? Please."  
  
Inuyasha looked at his friends for a moment and nodded. He strode up to Kagome, who took his arm and lead him off down to the beach. She continued glancing over her shoulder until she was certain that Miroku and Shippo were out of ear shot and stopped. She took a few more deep breaths for courage and looked up at Inuyasha who seemed both nervous and confused.  
  
"You wanted to talk to me?" It sounded desperate, nervous. Not that Kagome could blame him. If she were in his shoes, she would be scared out of her mind, too.  
  
"I... I had a talk with Kirara..." Kagome mentally kicked herself. That was certainly a great way to start and relieve the poor boy of a little bit of terror. "I realize I've done and said a lot of things... mostly about you... that I'm not too proud of..."  
  
"Kagome?" Now Inuyasha looked hopelessly lost. Damn! Why couldn't this be easier?  
  
Kagome decided to just swallow her pride and let it all out. In one big rush. "I'm so sorry, Inuyasha! I've been treating you like trash all these years and you never did anything to deserve it! And now that I figured that out, I feel like I'm going to die if I don't do something about it, but if you can't forgive me I understand completely, I just needed to get this off my chest before it drives me insane! Oh god, I'm so, so sorry!" Well, that was a little less than dignified. Now what?  
  
******************************  
  
Inuyasha stood mute with shock for a moment. Kagome had just poured out the most sincere apology he'd ever heard from anyone in his entire life and confessed that she now realized she'd been a bitch to him all these years. When did this happen? Still, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, father always said.  
  
The silence might have gone on a little too long, however, because Inuyasha heard Kagome give a gentle sob and the salty scent of tears filled his sensitive nose. Oh great! She took his silence for a rejection of her apology. When Kagome turned her back to escape, Inuyasha darted his hand out and caught her arm. "Wait a second! Kagome, it's okay! I accept!"  
  
The girl struggled for a second before his words sunk in and she looked up at him in shock. Inuyasha gently brushed the tears from the corners of her eyes as she stared at him. "How can you forgive me so easily? After all I've done to you..."  
  
Inuyasha gave her a rare smile. "When you live on my side of the tracks as long as I have, you don't take apologies for granted. It's okay. You're sorry for the differences we've had in the past, and that's all that matters. As long as you don't start doing it again, it's fine."  
  
Kagome just looked down at the ground, obviously still having a hard time accepting the fact that she was so easily forgiven. She must have had one powerful guilt trip to be affected this strongly.  
  
Inuyasha decided to try and console her again. What else was there to do? "I tend to hold a grudge, but my mother always taught me to be more forgiving. Don't worry about it. It's all in the past now."  
  
Kagome finally looked up at him and smiled softly. "Thanks, Inuyasha. People are wrong about you. I was wrong about you."  
  
******************************  
  
Kagome thought that could have gone a little better, but it worked out in the end, anyway. When Inuyasha didn't respond to her apology at first, she was ready to break down and cry. Not that she could have blamed him if he didn't forgive her. She had played a major role in ruining his teenage life, and then just came in with an impromptu apology.  
  
But, he had accepted, and he was starting to show that nice-guy side to him from last night. People really were wrong about him. Kagome felt indescribably relieved and now felt a certain amdiration for the silver-haired boy in front of her.  
  
She straightened herself up and wiped at her eyes again. She could still remember how surprisingly gentle his callused fingers had been when he brushed her tears away. She smiled up at Inuyasha and felt a strange impulse take hold of her. "Would you and Sesshoumaru like to come over to my house for dinner sometime?"  
  
Inuyasha looked as if she had just asked him to marry her. "What?" was his meek reply.  
  
"Well, we had dinner at your house once before. I thought you and your brother might like to come to my family's home next time."  
  
Inuyasha idly scratched at the back of his head, triangular ears twitching slightly. "I guess so. I could talk to Sessh about it tonight. He does seem to get along well with your mom and grandfather." He shrugged slightly as if unsure of his own observation.  
  
Kagome just giggled. "Not to mention how he gets along with Kikyo."  
  
Inuyasha just raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes playfully and giggled again. "Didn't you see the way they were looking at each other last night? They way they kept talking? Those two have got it bad." It was still a little wierd to think of those two together, but they really did make a cute couple.  
  
Inuyasha looked thoughtful for a moment then grinned and began chuckling himself. "Now that I think about it, you're right. I can't believe I didn't notice before. Kikyo looked like she was ready to jump Sessh the instant they were alone, and he looked as if he wouldn't have made any move to stop her either."  
  
It was actually a very comfortable moment they shared. For once in their lives, they were getting along and all the past seemed to be behind them now.  
  
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. "What the fuck do you think you're doing with MY girl, mongrel!?"  
  
*******************************  
  
Back at the garden, Kirara's persistent prying was finally starting to get results. "Okay, okay! I first met Miroku when we were only five. It was at a daycare center." Sango would tell the story, but she doubted there was anything more to it than what she had seen these past thirteen years.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Well, like a couple other boys, he started showing off around me and trying to impress me." Sango had to admit that looking back it looked very cute. But that was beside the point. "He would always try to be nice and would stick up for me when boys teased me about being a girl. Stuff like that."  
  
"That was sweet of him," Kirara remarked.  
  
"Maybe, but that's only because he was too little to know what sex was." Sango folded her arms over her chest with a huff.  
  
"That was a little below the belt, don't you think?"  
  
With a sigh, Sango admitted that that was a pretty cold thing to say. Nor was it really fair to Miroku or even guys in general. "Maybe, but that's not important. Anyway, I got kind of tired of all the attention I was getting after a while so I was kind of relieved when my parents took me out of daycare.  
  
"The next time I saw Miroku was when we got put in the same class in third grade. I was homeschooled until then. Well, apparently Miroku hadn't forgotten me because he picked up right where he left off. He kept it up until fifth grade, despite the fact that I never once showed any sign of interest. He just couldn't take a hint."  
  
"Maybe you did too good a job ignoring him," Kirara said thoughtfully.  
  
Sango looked over at the blonde girl in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Nevermind. Go on with your story."  
  
Sango gave Kirara a questioning look, but shrugged off her curiosity and cleared her throat. "Anyway, Kagome told you about the incident with Inuyasha and Miroku. As we were leaving, I decided I had had enough of Miroku stalking me so I told him to quit following me. I even told him I hated him, just to get him off my back. Truthfully, his persistence was starting to scare me.  
  
"After that he turned really wierd. Started dressing all in black, got this creepy mystic thing going, started wearing that coat... I can't remember just how it started, but in seventh grade he started acting like such a pervert. He couldn't go three sentences without dropping some innuendo in, and he always claimed those times he groped women were just accidents. He certainly went out of his way to make them seem that way."  
  
"Miroku used a lot of innuendo," Kirara remarked casually. "So does my brother-in-law. But he's perfectly normal otherwise. All guys like to make suggestive comments, its their nature."  
  
Sango just crossed her arms. She was determined to win this argument. Miroku was a lying pervert, and that's all there was to it.  
  
"Also," Kirara added, "did you ever stop to think about the possibility that those really were accidents?"  
  
Sango growled softly. "Why would he say something like that unless it was a lie? He wants people to believe they were accidents so they can keep on getting away with it."  
  
"Sango, I can't help but feel you're blowing this out of proportion." Kirara rubbed her temples slightly in frustration.  
  
"I am not!" Sango defended. "He has walked up to any woman that gives him so much as a hello smile and asks them to bear his children!" That was one thing in particular that really bugged her. Every time she heard Miroku say that, she rushed over and helped his victim smack him around.  
  
"Did he ever ask you?" Kirara may as well have been asking about the weather. How could she always sound so damn mellow?!  
  
"No," Sango admitted, "but that's only because he has a self-preservation instinct." She cracked her knuckles to emphasize the point she was trying to make. "But he did have the nerve to actually say to me not more than a half-hour ago why I couldn't treat him like a human."  
  
"Would you like to hear a little theory of mine?" Kirara asked calmly.  
  
"Go ahead." At least it gave Sango an excuse to not go on about this unpleasant subject.  
  
"I think Miroku is both fascinated by you and afraid of you," Kirara began. "Guys are stubborn when it comes to women. They don't like to give up. It's possible that Miroku genuinely has some feelings for you, but you've succeeded in scaring him away. At least to an extent, you have."  
  
Sango sat numb with shock. How could Kirara even think something like that. But she wasn't finished.  
  
"Think about it. Hear me out. He spent two years of his life trying to catch your attention, trying to show you that he did in fact exist. That's devotion. When you threw it back in his face, he immediately afterward turned semi-goth and soon afterward developed a reputation that scares women away from him. Sounds like he has a hard time with rejection."  
  
"So?" Sango wasn't convinced yet. So Miroku didn't take rejection well. So he couldn't let go of the past. Big deal. Though if he couldn't let go of his feelings of rejection, was it possible he couldn't let go of that crush on her? Oh god, there it goes again. Kirara was exceedingly good at making you question yourself.  
  
"I think the whole thing with asking women to bear his children is an attempt to scare them off," Kirara continued. "It's possible that he never got over you, that he doesn't want anybody else. Granted, that isn't really mentally healthy, but in some strange way it's kind of... sweet."  
  
Sango was now beginning to doubt all of her views on Miroku. The poor guy had never done anything to her personally. And everytime he did something for her, she just started snapping at him. He wasn't a stalker, he was just a guy who refused to give up until he had tried everything.  
  
Now it was Sango's turn to feel a massive guilt trip. He wanted her to treat him like a human. He had every right to say that. It had gotten so easy to believe she hated him, that she never stopped to consider why. 'Now I know how Kagome feels.'  
  
Maybe Miroku was lying about the groping being accidents, maybe he was lying about all those awkward situations they had been in together, maybe he was lying about the snake, and maybe he was lying whenever he complimented her and no other girl. And maybe he wasn't. Miroku had never asked Sango to bear his children, but was it out of fear or was it because he didn't want to offend her?  
  
"Confusing, isn't it?" Kirara asked. "You obviously need some more time to think about this. Your situation with Miroku isn't as clear as the Kagome and Inuyasha's." With that, Kirara stood up and walked off. "Just remember what I said and think about it."  
  
Sango sighed in despair. This was not going to be easy. If Miroku really was innocent, then she was going to owe him one hell of an apology. For now, though, she would have to wait and see. Continue testing the waters, as it were.  
  
******************************  
  
Miroku was very, very interested in finding out what was going on between Inuyasha and Kagome, but he felt he should respect the latter's request for privacy. Besides, Shippo turned his attention to Miroku now, and was planning on doing to him what he had done with Inuyasha.  
  
"I don't think you ever told me just how you and Sango got where you are today," Shippo mused. "Care to tell?"  
  
Miroku sighed and retold his story to Shippo. Unlike others, Miroku knew exactly what his problem was. He was able to explain why he did what he did, what steps he had taken to keep other women away, how those steps had backfired miserably. In short, everything.  
  
When Miroku finished, Shippo sat there calmly watching him. "And today you sent her that cryptic little message in hopes that it would start turning the wheels in her head?"  
  
"Exactly." Miroku folded his arms over his chest and sighed.  
  
"Why don't you just tell her outright how you feel?" Shippo obviously wanted to get every scrap of information and eliminate all other possible explanations until he got to the core truth.  
  
"Because I don't want to die," Miroku asnwered flatly.  
  
"So you're afraid of getting your ass kicked?"  
  
"Yes and no. I am afraid of what kind of physical harm she can do. Remember, her family runs a martial arts school and shop. She's probably the school's best fighter after Inuyasha.  
  
"I'm also afraid, however, of what she could do to me emotionally if I did something that stupid. You don't just walk up to a woman and say 'Hey! I've been in love with you for thirteen years and have been expressing it in the most disfunctional ways imaginable the whole time! You wanna go out sometime?' I like having skin on my bones and my heart in a semblence of one piece, thank you very much." Miroku settled back, rather proud of his answer.  
  
Shippo was a sly one, though. "So you're just going to keep up the not-working-out-because-it-sucks routine and let her get away? Face it, dude, you don't have much time left."  
  
Damn. He was good. Much as Miroku hated to admit it, he had just lost this argument. Now he needed to undo ten years of damage to his relationship with Sango in about 6 months. This was going to be hard.  
  
******************************  
  
"Koga?!" Kagome and Inuyasha both shouted at once. "What the...?" Kagome didn't get a chance to finish that sentence when Koga stomped up and roughly jerked her away from a stunned Inuyasha.  
  
"Keep your filthy paws off my girl!" he screamed indignantly. "Fuckin' rapist!"  
  
"Rapist?!" Inuyasha shouted, clearly offended. He was about to shout back at Koga when Kagome jerked her arm free from the dark-haired boy's grasp and slapped him.  
  
"I am not your girl! Where the hell did you get an idea like that? And Inuyasha is not the problem here!" Koga kept opening his mouth to try and speak, but Kagome wasn't about to let him. No one interrupted her. No one. "We were having a conversation when you barged in and interrupted it! And just what gives you the right to grab me like that! I should be screaming rape at you after you almost pulled my arm out of the socket! Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?!"  
  
Nothing apparently. Koga and Inuyasha both stood staring at her in shock, though Inuyasha slowly started to seem very amused.  
  
Koga shook off his shock after a while and scowled at Inuyasha who glowered back. Koga took Kagome by the shoulder and strode off, leaving a seething Inuyasha standing on the beach.  
  
Kagome tried to struggle, but she wasn't strong enough to break free. "What the hell do you want?" she fumed.  
  
"I just wanted to invite you to my party, bitch," Koga huffed. "My folks are out of town for the next week and I'm throwing a big-ass party and you're invited. Tomorrow at 7. I expect to see you there." The last sentence seemed to hold a dark tone to it, as if suggesting something would happen if she didn't come.  
  
As Koga strode away, now looking very pleased with himself, Kagome had to wonder just why she ever allowed him within a hundred yards of her. He was beginning to get scary. And he never did explain himself about the whole 'my girl' thing.  
  
Suddenly, Kagome got an idea. She knew just how she could do a favor for Inuyasha and herself. With a sinister smile, she walked back to the beach, relieved to find Inuyasha still standing there waiting for her.  
  
"What's with the look?" he asked, obviously a little nervous at the uncharacteristically dark cast to her features.  
  
"Inuyasha," she said sweetly, "how would you, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara like to come with me to Koga's party? Every party needs its crashers, doesn't it?"  
  
After a moment, Inuyasha took on a very evil grin himself. "Count on it. And since you invited us, he can't really bitch, can he?"  
  
One of Kagome's teachers had assigned them to read a book called Stranger In a Strange Land a couple weeks ago. One thing the book said was that all humor is based on the misfortune and suffering of others. And right now, Kagome was feeling very, very funny. 


	8. You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party!

Author's Notes: My Shangri-La beneath the summer moon, I will return again. Sure as the dust that floats high in June when moving through Kashmir.  
Hello again! This is a bit of a mile stone for me, since I've never stuck with a story this long before. Thank you all for your support through these last few weeks and your patience with my new busy schedule.  
I recieved a couple suggestions about songs that some of you think will fit nicely in the story, though I haven't had the chance to get a hold of them yet. I can't make many new downloads until I clean my computer of all the crapware that programs like Gator put on it months ago. Never trust Gator!  
I actually spent some time arguing with myself about this chapter, wondering if it was a little trite. I decided to go ahead with it anyway, sort of experiment with it and see if I can make it work.  
You may also have noticed that I changed the titles of the chapters, at least on the little scroll thingy. I decided to keep the theme of naming chapters with distinctive song lyrics a little more consistent.  
As always I appreciate any feedback you can give me.  
On one final note, I dare you, my readers to try and figure out the show that I got most of the surnames from and find my real name which has been used in this story. Not that that last part is too difficult.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 8- You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party!  
  
After Inuyasha and Kagome had managed to get everyone back together at the boardwalk, Kagome pitched her idea to the rest of them.  
  
"So you want us to go to Koga's party and trash it so that you can get back at him and we can have an assload of fun doing it?" Shippo asked. "All those opposed?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"All those in favor?" The response was unanimous. "That settles that then!" Shippo happily shouted, rubbing his hands together.  
  
Inuyasha suddenly got a very evil grin on his face and laughed slightly. "Hey. I just had this really interesting idea."  
  
Everyone immediately bombarded Inuyasha with questions about what he was thinking, but he insisted on keeping it a surprise, that only Miroku and Shippo would know before tomorrow night.  
  
This promised to be one hell of a party, alright.  
  
**************************  
  
It was about 6:30 the next evening and Kagome was now waiting for Inuyasha to pick her up like he said he would. She was wearing a black miniskirt and a tank top that had "DON'T START WITH ME! YOU WON'T WIN" written on the chest in bold white letters.  
  
"So you're actually going?" Kikyo asked for the eigth time that night.  
  
"Yes," Kagome replied with a hint of exasperation. "But don't worry. I'm only sticking around long enough to teach Koga his lesson."  
  
"You be careful, dear," Mrs. Higurashi said, coming downstairs. "You know I don't trust the Kobes' son. And I'm sure you know why if you remember the last time he was here."  
  
Oh yes, Kagome remembered quite well. That was the last time she was ever allowed to have guests over. She couldn't believe she hadn't just strangled Koga right there. He did nearly burn their house down, didn't he? And not one apology! Why did she even continue to hang out with him after that?  
  
She was pulled from her thoughts when the sound of tires on gravel drifted up from the front yard. She opened the door and peeked out to see Inuyasha and the others packed into his bright red Viper. He had managed to save the passenger seat for her by having Kirara sit in Shippo's lap and share a seat belt (as if either of them minded). "There they are! See ya, mom!"  
  
"Have a nice time, dear!"  
  
Kagome raced out to the car and slipped into the passenger seat with a grin. She smiled at everyone. "So, what's this big surprise you were telling me about?"  
  
Inuyasha just grinned smugly. "You'll see." As they pulled out, Kagome noticed that he had decided to dress a little differently himself. Normally, all he ever wore was blue jeans and T-shirts. This time he was wearing black cargo pants and a button-down with flames at the bottom and on the sleeves. She glanced back to see if the others had decided to dress differently as well.  
  
It seemed though, that Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara had just opted to stay casual. Oddly, though, Miroku had his coat buttoned up for once. The inside of the car was rather warm, and yet he sat there in all that leather as if heat couldn't touch him. How did he do that?  
  
Sango seemed a little uncomfortable sitting beside him, but Miroku seemed perfectly at ease. No suggestive comments, no "accidental" slips of his hands. Something must really have his attention to keep him that focused. Inuyasha interrupted her thoughts, however, as he cleared his throat.  
  
"Hope you don't mind, we told Naraku about this, too, so expect him to show up." It sounded almost like Inuyasha was doubtbful about his decision. It was common knowledge how badly Kagome was spooked by him. Still, if he could help with the party crashing...  
  
"No problem," Kagome said, trying to sound casual.  
  
**************************  
  
Koga lived at the top of a hill with few houses, so the stereos blasting inside wouldn't draw any unwanted attention. As Inuyasha pulled up, there were already about a half-dozen cars parked nearby. A little off to the side, at the edge of the light from a street lamp stood Naraku leaning back against his motorcycle, a black and purple Kawasaki Ninja. Kagome thought he looked unbelievably scary standing there, dressed all in black, spider medallion glinting in the light. "Hey guys," he drawled. "We all set?"  
  
Inuyasha strode up and gave Naraku a very macho handshake. "Hell yes. Let's go!"  
  
The group proceeded up the pathway to the door and Kagome knocked. She hoped Koga would answer just to see the look on his face. Luck was with her, because the target of her vengeance flung open the door and grinned creepily at seeing her. His face mmediately went to one of rage and horror at seeing the 'losers' standing right behind Kagome. "Kagome?! What the fuck are they doing here?!"  
  
"I invited them," Kagome said sweetly. Was she enjoying this too much? Nah. She brushed past a very stunned Koga, and Sango and the boys followed after her.  
  
"Linkin Park?" Inuyasha asked above the music. "Call me crazy, but for some reason I prefer the so-called 'whiny' stuff over this." He shrugged as if it was no big deal, which it probably wasn't, then looked to Mioku and slowly nodded once.  
  
Miroku grinned evilly and produced a purple jewel case from one of the pockets of his coat. Inside was a CD labeled 'Koga Party.' He slipped through the dancing crowd, who seemed strangely unaware of him, and worked his way to the stereo.  
  
All the noise and motion at the party abruptly stopped as Miroku turned off the music and slipped the new CD in.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Koga bellowed.  
  
"But I invited them," Kagome interrupted. "Don't you trust me?" She put on her best pout. If Koga had some kind of possessive stalker complex thing going, as she had begun to suspect, then she better take what advantage of it whenever she could for now.  
  
That shut him up in a hurry, though he was obviously still seething. Especially when Inuyasha tossed him a cocky grin and jumped up on the couch.  
  
Inuyasha put his hands to his mouth and shouted loud enough for everyone to hear over the confused buzzing that had just sprung up. "Hey everybody!!"  
  
Miroku turned on the music, and Inuyasha began to sway, rock, and bob his body to the beat before he began singing along.  
  
Greasy slicked-down body, groovy leather trim.  
Like the way you hold the road, mama it ain't no sin.  
  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout...  
  
That alone was enough to leave several girls spellbound and Kagome soon found herself pushing her way through the crowd to get closer to Inuyasha as the song went on.  
  
Ooh. Trouble-free transmission, helps your oil's flow.  
Mama let me pump your gas, mama let me do it all.  
  
Talkin' 'bout love. Ah.  
Talkin' 'bout love. Oh!  
Talkin' 'bout...  
  
The way Inuyasha rocked and thrusted his hips when he sang that verse gave the lyrics some unbelievably suggestive meanings, causing Kagome to blush slightly at the thought of it, and that wasn't saying anything about how she felt just watching him do that.  
  
A few girls seem to feel the same way and now had a healthy blush on their cheeks. Kagome risked a glance and Koga who was now clenching his fists. Not even five minutes and already her plan was working.  
  
Dig that heavy metal underneath your hood.  
Baby I could work all night, believe I've got the perfect tools.  
  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout...  
  
A model built for comfort, really built with style.  
Specialist tradition, mama let me feast my eyes.  
  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout...  
  
As Inuyasha sang the next verse, he began slowly unbuttoning his shirt to show he wasn't wearing another one underneath.  
  
Factory airconditioned, heat begins to rise.  
Guaranteed to run for hours, mama it's a perfect size.  
  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout...  
  
Kagome found herself whooping and cheering with several other girls as Inuyasha showed off his toned chest and six-pack. This was one hell of a plan he had. Piss off Koga and every jock that had ever crossed him in one easy blow by getting to the girls. Of course, given some of the girls present, mostly dyed-blonde stereotypical cheerleaders, this was almost too easy.  
  
Groovin' on the freeway, gauge is on the red.  
Gun down on my gasoline, believe I'm gonna crack a head.  
  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout...  
  
I can't stop talkin' about...  
I can't stop talkin' about...  
  
Ooh yeah, fine. Drive on!  
  
Inuyasha pulled a graceful half-twist off the couch and pulled Kagome and several other girls out of the crowd and began dancing. Kagome felt like her face was going to explode, but she danced with him anyway. It was pretty fun, and she eventually felt her nerves and emberassment slip away. So she was dancing with the unofficial leader of her school's loser population. So he was now practically shirtless and dancing in a way that Kagome knew few parents would ever approve of. So what? This was damn fun! And Koga was suffering, wasn't he? Bonus!  
  
Inuyasha gave Kagome a wink and a feral grin before hopping back up on the couch and slipping his shirt off, holding it over his head.  
  
Ooh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yes I'm comin' through!  
  
Come to me for service every hundred miles.  
Baby let me check your points, fix your over drive.  
  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout...  
  
Ooh, yeah! Fully automatic, comes in any size.  
Makes me wonder what I did before we synchronized.  
  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout...  
  
Ooh! Feather-light suspension, coils just couldn't hold.  
I'm so glad I took a look inside your showroom doors.  
  
How did he make all these lyrics sound so bloody suggestive? On singing that last lyric, he gave the girls in the crowd a very obvious wink as if to drive home the innuendo he was obviously turning this into, and for some strange reason Kagome felt a small stab in her chest. It wasn't guilt like she had been used to feeling these past few days, so what was it?  
  
Oh no! It wasn't jealousy was it? No, it couldn't be! No way in hell could she be jealous. After all, this was just an act, right? Why would she even have to ask a qestion like that? Kagome shook her head to clear it and looked back up at Inuyasha.  
  
He had that same alluring presence she remembered from the other night. Something about him when he got into the music made you unable to look away. It was incredible to watch, and Kagome wondered briefly why he hadn't gone down to a local music shop and tried to start up a band. If he had, you'd think that sort of news would spread.  
  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout love.  
Talkin' 'bout...  
  
Ah yeah, ah yeah!  
  
I can't stop talkin' about love!  
I can't stop talkin' about love!  
  
Ooh, let me come on down, come on down, come on down, come on down, come on down, yeah!  
  
I can't stop talkin' about...  
I can't stop talkin' about love!  
I can't stop talkin' about love! My baby!  
I can't stop talkin' about love!  
My baby! My baby, my baby, yeah!  
  
Ooh! Push! Push!  
Yes, babe! Push! Push!  
  
Unnh-Aah-Ooh!  
  
As the music faded off, Inuyasha thrust his fists up in the air and tossed his head back. "I do indeed rock!" So he wasn't exactly modest.  
  
Kagome looked around to see the guys with very considering looks on their faces, not sure what to think of Inuyasha anymore. The girls, on the other hand, couldn't have been happier. So what if it was Inuyasha dancing, he was still really cut. Kagome had to admit, she had spent most of the song staring herself.  
  
As Inuyasha stepped aside to say something clandestinely to Miroku, Kagome found herself beside Yura, another one of her friends in the popular community. "Kagome," Yura said in her distinctively and deceptively sweet voice, "did you plan this? I never thought I'd say this, but Inuyasha is looking pretty good right now."  
  
Kagome did a double-take. "What?" No, she was not jealous! Just surprised. Then why did she hear giggling in her mind's eye?  
  
"I can't believe I never noticed. He's got a great body, and I just love that hair." Yura always had a strange thing for hair. It was her hobby. Surprising then that she cut her own so short.  
  
Both girls were surprised when Naraku appeared behind them seemingly from nowhere. "If you're noticing his hair, then why not mine? I take just as much pride in these tresses as Inuyasha does his." Obviously just trying to get a reaction.  
  
Kagome refused to humor the goth boy, though Yura wasn't quite so strong-willed. She reached out and grabbed a handful of Naraku's wavy locks. She gasped slightly and began running her fingers through it, much to Naraku's obvious surprise.  
  
"So soft," Yura purred. That was just a little creepy. "Most women never have hair this good. I just have to do something with it!" Without waiting for Naraku's response, Yura dragged him off by his scalp, causing a few yelps, obscenities, and protests that went unnoticed.  
  
(AN: Dedicated there to Spada Ken who gave me the idea.)  
  
***************************  
  
Sango shook her head. Kagome couldn't have done better by inviting the boys if she had just walked up to Koga and castrated him. Inuyasha had the cheerleaders pantng like bitches in heat and the jocks now wondering if they had a new rival or a potential buddy to hang out with. If Sango had known the social order of the school community could be upset this easily...  
  
She shook her head to clear it and just enjoy the moment. Though these technically were her people, it was pretty amusing. She felt a little apprehensive, however, when Miroku took Inuyasha's place on the couch and Shippo started to bring up another song.  
  
Sango felt her face heat up as if it was about to spontaneously combust when Miroku unbuttoned his coat to show he was wearing tight black jeans and no shirt underneath. Did all guys think like this, or was it just the ones she knew?  
  
The music started up and Miroku bobbed his head to the beat while Inuyasha stood by playing air guitar. This song sounded familiar. Where had she heard it before... Oh yeah! It was one of those '80's songs, some German band called the The Scorpions. Miroku began singing along with the song with a predatory glint in his eyes. (AN: This is for anynone who's worried I'm putting in too much Led Zeppelin.)  
  
It's early morning,  
The sun comes out.  
Last night was shaking,  
And pretty loud.  
My cat is purring,  
And scratches my skin.  
So what is wrong,  
With another sin?  
The bitch is hungry,  
She needs to tell.  
So give her inches,  
And feed her well.  
More days to come,  
New places to go.  
I've got to leave,  
It's time for a show.  
  
Here I am, rock you like a hurricane!  
Here I am, rock you like a hurricane!  
  
Sango couldn't believe it. Was this why he was being so well-behaved so far this night? So he could pull a stunt like this? It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what those lyrics meant. Whereas Inuyasha managed to turn the lyrics of the last song into sexual innuendo, Miroku took what was already there and attached his perverted grin to it. He was such an idiot.  
  
Then again, if he was such an idiot, then why did Sango feel her heart skip a beat when Miroku turned that intense gaze to her, giving her a small wink that had surprisingly little suggestive meaning to it, considering the circumstances? It was as if he was trying to tell her to relax. Very strange.  
  
My body is burning,  
It starts to shout.  
Desire is coming,  
It breaks out loud.  
Lust is in cages,  
Till storm breaks loose.  
Just have to make it,  
With someone I choose.  
The night is calling,  
I have to go.  
The wolf is hungry,  
He runs the show.  
He's licking his lips,  
He's ready to win.  
On the hunt tonight,  
For love at first sting.  
  
Here I am, rock you like a hurricane!  
Here I am, rock you like a hurricane!  
Here I am, rock you like a hurricane!  
Here I am, rock you like a hurricane!  
  
Rock you like a hurricane!  
  
Inuyasha then jumped on the couch with Miroku playing air guitar frantically while the latter let his body sway and rock to the music. Sango spotted Koga making his way toward them with thoughts of extreme violence on his mind. She wasn't about to let that happen, however. Sango had no intention of letting Miroku die before she figured him out.  
  
She casually stuck her foot out into Koga's path and the arrogant jock went crashing down with an indignant yelp, hitting his head off an endtable and promptly passing out. Given the kind of people that made up the crowd, and the distraction they were provided, nobody noticed.  
  
It's early morning,  
The sun comes out.  
Last night was shaking,  
And pretty loud.  
My cat is purring,  
And scratches my skin.  
So what is wrong,  
With another sin?  
The night is calling,  
I have to go.  
The wolf is hungry,  
He runs the show.  
He's licking his lips,  
He's ready to win.  
On the hunt tonight,  
For love at first sting.  
  
As the chorus started up again, Inuyasha and Miroku sang in unison, creating a rich bass sound that drew Sango in. Before she knew it, she had joined the crowd in dancing. Damn this was fun! Apparently there were upshots to keeping those two wierdos around.  
  
Here I am, rock you like a hurricane!  
Here I am, rock you like a hurricane!  
Here I am, rock you like a hurricane!  
Here I am, rock you like a hurricane!  
Here I am!  
  
Miroku and Inuyasha made an elaborate bow and punched each other in the shoulders. The hormones in the room were practically tangible.  
  
"Shippo! You're turn!" Inuyasha waved his friend up. Sango had a hard time thinking of what the little freshman would sing, especially if he followed the pattern his friends did.  
  
****************************  
  
Kirara immediately saw the doubt settling onto Shippo's face as the crowd gave him very puzzled looks. 'What could the runt possibly do to compare to the last two performances,' was what she guessed they were all thinking. As Inuyasha turned on the next song, Kirara dashed up, gave Shippo an encouraging smile and a quick peck on the lips for confidence then rejoined the crowd.  
  
Shippo suddenly seemed much more enthusiastic. All he really wanted was praise and encouragement, something he obviously wasn't getting nearly enough of. Kirara grinned widely as Shippo stepped up onto the couch as the music began.  
  
Watch out, here I come!  
  
You Spin me Round? An odd choice, but it was pretty funny. And hearing Shippo sing it made Kirara melt inside. She adored the boy. He was just so full of life and happiness, always eager to please, and with a wonderful sense of humor.  
  
The other two boys bobbed their heads to the beat while providing back up vocals, and Shippo began to do the same as his nerves melted away.  
  
You spin me right round, baby,  
Right round like a record, baby,  
Right round round round.  
You spin me right round, baby,  
Right round like a record, baby,  
Right round round round.  
  
Yeah I, I got to know your name.  
Well and I, could trace your private number, baby.  
All I know is that to me,  
You look like you're lots of fun.  
Open up your lovin' arms,  
I want some, here I come.  
  
I set my sights on you.  
(And no one else will do)  
And I, I've got to have my way now, baby!  
  
All I know is that to me,  
You look like you're havin' fun.  
Open up your lovin' arms,  
Watch out, here I come!  
  
You spin me right round, baby,  
Right round like a record, baby,  
Right round round round.  
You spin me right round, baby,  
Right round like a record, baby,  
Right round round round.  
  
By now the crowd had stopped caring about how wierd the song sounded in contrast to the others, and just got into it like before. Kirara refused to take her eyes from Shippo. He looked so adorable when he was into his music.  
  
Deep down, though, she wished she could free her thoughts and express herself the way he could. Best not to think of that now. This is supposed to be a party, and there was no room for self-pity. Thoughts of the past and worry for the future could wait.  
  
I, I got to be your friend now, baby,  
And I would like to move in,  
Just a little bit closer!  
(Just a little bit closer!)  
  
All I know is that to me,  
You look like you're lots of fun.  
Open up your lovin arms,  
Watch out, here I come!  
  
You spin me right round, baby,  
Right round like a record, baby,  
Right round round round.  
You spin me right round, baby,  
Right round like a record, baby,  
Right round round round.  
  
I want your love!  
I want your love!  
  
All I know is that to me,  
You look like you're lots of fun.  
Open up your lovin' arms,  
Watch out, here I come!  
  
You spin me right round, baby,  
Right round like a record, baby,  
Right round round round.  
You spin me right round, baby,  
Right round like a record, baby,  
Right round round round.  
You spin me right round, baby,  
Right round like a record, baby,  
Right round round round.  
You spin me right round, baby,  
Right round like a record, baby,  
Right round round round.  
  
*****************************  
  
The three boys laughed and slung their arms around each other's shoulders. "Thank you, good night, we love you all!" Inuyasha shouted in his best Ozzy impersonation. His ego swelled as he mentally checked off his plan as a huge success. Too bad Koga was now out cold and couldn't enjoy the fruits of his labor.  
  
Inuyasha hopped down and strode up to Kagome who was laughing and grinning ear-to-ear. "What did you think?" he asked as he slipped his shirt back on but left it unbuttoned.  
  
"That was great!" She swept her hair back out of her eyes and smiled up at Inuyasha. "What was that song you sang?"  
  
"Trampled Underfoot by Led Zeppelin. You never heard it before?" Was it possible for someone not to know Led Zeppelin?  
  
Kagome just shook her head. "Can't say that I have. I didn't know what Led Zeppelin was until a week ago."  
  
"You poor deprived girl!" Inuyasha placed his hands on Kagome's shoulders and stared at her intently, causing her to blush. "You need to be shone the light. Remind me to play a few of their hits for you in the near future. No one should go through life having heard only Stairway to Heaven and Trampled Underfoot. There's still Communication Breakdown, Rock and Roll, Kashmir..." Inuyasha went on listing his favorite songs until Kagome got a look of information overload. "But we'll worry about that later."  
  
*****************************  
  
Miroku calmly walked up to Sango with a confident smirk. "So, do you think our plan was a success?" He had to try and repair the damage he had done these many, many years. Best to start tonight. He had been well-behaved so far. If he could just earn her trust.  
  
Sango glanced around at the crowd now buzzing with talk of the guys' little show. "It would seem so, wouldn't it?"  
  
Miroku proudly folded his arms over his chest. "We're not all that bad, are we? Admit it, you were having fun." Try as he might, Miroku couldn't stop himself from teasing her. It was just too much fun. Besides, he could tell from her face that she knew he never meant anything by it.  
  
Sango just smirked. "Maybe I was. Maybe I wasn't. You tell me." Oh, this was going to be fun.  
  
"You looked like you were pretty into it when I was up there singing." He started singing once more. "Here I am, rock you like a hurricane! Here I am, rock you like a hurricane!" He laughed lightly and looked back to Sango who just shook her head with a soft smile.  
  
"Men," she muttered. "If I placate your ego and tell you yes I really liked the song and found you drop-dead sexy when you were doing it, will you stop bugging me about it?"  
  
There was an answer Miroku hadn't been expecting. He recovered quickly enough, however. "Only if it's the truth."  
  
At that, Sango blushed deeply. She looked away, as if afraid to make eye contact with him, and Miroku immediately scrambled for a recovery.  
  
"I was just joking. I saw you dancing in the crowd and having fun, that's all that matters." He tried an encouraging smile, and Sango seemed to feel a little less nervous.  
  
One step closer.  
  
*****************************  
  
Meanwhile, Naraku was on the patio out in back sitting backward in a chair as he let Yura play with his hair, cooing over how soft and silky it was. In just five minutes she had experimented with putting it in a top-knot, three different styles of ponytails, and a French braid. He had to admit, this was pretty amusing. He had his arms folded on the back of the chair with his chin resting on them. "So, what are you doing next?"  
  
He felt Yura drag her nails lightly over his scalp, forcing him to supress a light shiver. "Oh, I don't know. Dreadlocks wouldn't be a good look for you and the French braid didn't work out... Oh, dear."  
  
"Why not let it down like it always is?" Naraku asked, trying to glance over his shoulder. The night wasn't exactly cold, but he still had to wonder how Yura could maintain any semblence of warmth in her body in a dress that skimpy. Why would she wear that to a party anyway? There was no way in hell she could dance and stay in that thing. Was she even wearing anything underneath? Naraku looked away before he let his imagination get carried away.  
  
Yura seemed to consider his suggestion for a minute. "I guess so. Makes you look a little wild and gives you a sexy mystique."  
  
Naraku tried another glance behind him as Yura continued to play with his hair. "You think so?"  
  
"Of course I do," Yura giggled.  
  
Naraku wasn't quite sure how to respond. He hadn't had a girl compiment him in... well, ever. This was something he could get used to, though. "Thanks."  
  
*****************************  
  
Author's Notes: I'm going to have to leave it off there. The next chapter will pick up where we left off and try to flesh out a few characters a little more.  
Until then, be patient. My vacation is coming up, so don't expect to hear from me until mid-April. 


	9. Leaving Behind That Empty Feeling Inside

Author's Notes: I have returned! Chapter nine coming at you! I have to say, it feels pretty damn good to have gotten this far.  
Nice to see you all like the Yura/Naraku thing. They will become more prominent in the story from here on, as will Sesshoumaru and Kikyo starting next chapter.  
I also saw that Kirara does seem too perfect. Thus I decided to give her her own set of flaws and emotional problems. She is now actually rather similar to one of the characters in one of my serious original works in the making; a guy who is incredibly good at making friends, uunderstanding people, and helping them solve their problems, but almost completely incapable of expressing his own feelings.  
Little note to one of my reviewers (specifically PunkGirl): 13 times?! I'm flattered! Wow!  
Anyway, on with the story.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 9: Leaving Behind That Empty Feeling Inside  
  
Sango needed to dig a little deeper. She had to figure Miroku out if she ever hoped to sort out just what their relationship really was. "So, Miroku, I never really understood... Just what is with the whole spooky sorcerer thing you keep showing? Are you one of those wiccans, or something?" Real tactful, Sango. Still, bluntness seemed to work for Kirara. This seemed as good a question to ask as any, besides.  
  
They were out on the front porch now where they could talk without interruption. Hopefully anyway. Sango hoped she had been subtle enough in luring Miroku out here. At least, he didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.  
  
He simply chuckled at Sango's question and shook his head. "Wiccan? Hardly. I'm actually an agnostic."  
  
That was a strange answer. "You mean you don't believe in anything?"  
  
"That's an atheist," Miroku corrected. "An agnostic does not follow any particular religion, but does not deny the possibility that there are divine forces in the universe and that there really might be a religion out there that has the truth."  
  
"Oh," Sango replied simply. "How'd you come to a choice like that?"  
  
Miroku looked thoughtful for a moment. "No one's ever asked me that before," he muttered. He then cleared his throat. "Well, I suppose it started back when I was fourteen. I started experimenting with religion, thinking maybe I could find something to soothe the soul, as cliche as that sounds.  
  
"Over the course of three years, I experimented with Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, Wicca, Hinduism, American Indian animism, even Taoism. Nothing worked for me." Here he broke off and laughed lightly.  
  
"You're going to find this strange, but I actually came to the decision to be an agnostic when I was listening to the song Free Will."  
  
Sango arched a brow. A song gave him a religious expereince? "Never heard it," she said dully.  
  
Miroku just smirked and began singing. "You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice. If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. You can choose from phantom fears, and kindness that can kill. I will choose a path that's clear. I will choose free will."  
  
Sango nodded slightly. Now that she thought about, just those few lyrics had a certain logic to them. "You'll have to play that song for me sometime. Who made it?"  
  
"Rush," Miroku replied with a grin. "The greatest band ever, even if Inuyasha insists that title belongs to Led Zeppelin."  
  
"I think I've heard of them," Sango replied. A comfortable silence settled. How did this conversation begin, again? "What other songs has Rush made?"  
  
Miroku smiled softly. "That's quite a question to ask. They made their first album back in '74 and released their newest one in 2002. They're still together and going strong. Some of their hits, though, are Tom Sawyer, Free Will, Fly By Night, The Trees, Limelight, Red Sector A... The list goes on."  
  
Things were just starting to get comfortable. Sango felt at ease with Miroku for the first time ever. He really wasn't such a bad guy after all. Just a little introverted. Then again, she always liked the strong silent types.  
  
Their time together was short-lived, however, when Hiten and Manten stepped outside casting venomous looks in Mirokus' direction.  
  
*****************************  
  
Miroku heaved a sigh. He was a very patient man, but he had little tolerance for fools. "Can you be helped?" he asked flatly, unaffected by the glares that the two brothers sent his way.  
  
Miroku knew these two well. Hiten was a typical popular guy. Meaning he was a jock and a shallow pretty-boy. Manten, with his bulky and ungainly frame and shaved head, was only popular because he was Hiten's brother and because he was the star player on the school football team.  
  
"Not by you," Hiten snorted. "The fuck are you doing here, anyway? Koga should have kicked your asses out the instant he saw you." He folded his arms over his chest indignantly and narrowed one eye questioningly.  
  
"Kagome invited us," Miroku replied levelly. "She's not so blind as you fools."  
  
"And as for Koga," Sango added, "he's laying in a corner of the living room unconscious. That would be my handiwork."  
  
Hiten and Manten had looks on their faces as if they had just seen a ghost. "You can't be serious," Manten denied.  
  
"Oh but we are," Miroku said with a grin. He was truly enjoying this. This set the social order of the school on its head and forced it to drink bleach at the same time. He had to chuckle slightly at that mental image. "Why do you care so much that I'm here, anyway? Jealous of what Inuyasha, Shippo, and I could do to the crowd? Or did we just turn you on, and you're still in denial?"  
  
Miroku regretted that as soon as it was too late. The quickest way to get to a jock is to challenge his heterosexuality, and Hiten and Manten weren't exactly mentally stable to begin with. Miroku knew he could run like hell, but he also knew that those two were faster. Oh well, there was always the chance that Sango would help him... Wasn't there?  
  
*****************************  
  
Naraku stretched out slowly as he stood up. As much as he was enjoying his time with Yura, his legs and back were getting stiff. Along with a few other parts because of all of Yura's cooing and purring. Thank god he chose not to wear his tight pants tonight. He turned around to Yura as she stood up and saw her shiver slightly. He knew that dress was too skimpy. Naraku shrugged off his leather jacket and held it out to her. "Here. Put this on."  
  
Yura seemed a little surprised at first, but took the jacket and slipped it on with a small smile. "You're actually kinda sweet for an anti-social goth." She giggled lightly at that.  
  
Naraku just smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment. You want to go for a walk?" The social classes seemed to have been nullified for tonight because of his friends, so Naraku figured he better take advantage of it now and spend a little time with a cute girl while he had the chance.  
  
'Wait a second,' he thought to himself, 'cute? This is Yura, for Christ's sakes! A popular girl with a really wierd hair fetish! Still... that doesn't necessarilly mean she isn't hot.'  
  
Yura giggled and took his hand. "My, my, my. You're pretty forward, aren't you? That's okay. I like guys who don't beat around the bush.  
  
"So, are you really just gonna take me for a walk? Or do you just wanna get me alone so you can have your way with poor, defenseless little me?" She giggled again teasingly. She certainly did a lot of that, didn't she?  
  
Well, Naraku could play that game, too, if that's the way she wanted to do things.  
  
*****************************  
  
Inside, Inuyasha was busy raiding Koga's fridge. "Christ! The Kobes must be a bunch of total lushes. It's like a friggin' Russian brewery in here." Inuyasha had gotten drunk once a year ago to see what it was like. That was a mistake he lived to regret. He still doubted he'd ever look at squirrels the same way ever again. Waking up hungover and naked on the roof of his house the next morning certainly didn't help, either. He just thanked whatever holy beings there were up there that no one else knew.  
  
Shuddering lightly at the memories of his drunken stupor, Inuyasha decided to pass on a beer and continued hunting through the fridge until he happened upon a bag of fresh-sliced pepperonni. "Hot damn! Jackpot!" He snatched the bag out of the fridge and proceeded to stuff one slice after another into his mouth. Much to Kagome's disgust. "What?"  
  
"Inuyasha, I'm sorry, but your table manners leave something to be desired," she said trying to keep from looking at his mouth.  
  
Inuyasha swallowed audibly and beat his chest a moment to force the large lump of cold pepperonni down his throat. "Sorry. Want some?"  
  
"No thanks," Kagome quickly declined.  
  
Inuyasha simply shrugged. "Well, we've done the damage we came here to do. Whenever you want to go, just let me know."  
  
******************************  
  
Kagome thought about Inuyasha's offer for a moment. "Maybe we should go before Koga regains consciousness. I'd rather not see any violence tonight."  
  
To her relief, Inuyasha shrugged. "Suit yourself. Let's go find the others."  
  
The familiar beginning of a familiar song started up from the living room and Kagome saw Inuyasha smirk amusedly. "I think I know where we can find Shippo, and where he is Kirara follows. Come on."  
  
As they stepped into the living room, Kagome saw Shippo standing up on the couch with Kirara and the two of them began singing together.  
  
If God had long hair,  
And a goatee,  
And if his eyes were pretty glazed,  
If he looked spaced out,  
Would you buy his story?  
Would you believe he had an eye infection?  
  
And yeah, yeah,  
God looks baked.  
Yeah, yeah,  
God smells good.  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.  
  
What if God smoked Cannabis?  
Hit the bong like some of us?  
Drove a tie-dye micro-bus,  
And he subscribes to Rolling Stone?  
  
When God made this place,  
In the beginning,  
Did he plant any seeds?  
Or did he put them there,  
For Adam and Eve,  
So they'd be hungry for the apple that the snake,  
Was always offering?  
  
And yeah, yeah,  
God rolls great.  
Yeah, yeah,  
God smells good.  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.  
  
Kagome glanced beside her at Inuyasha who was now showing a fanged grin and playing air guitar again. The whole thing was damn funny, and she soon burst out laughing as Shippo and Kirara came to the chorus again.  
  
What if God smoked Cannabis?  
Do you suppose he had a bus?  
When he made the platypus?  
When he created Earth, our home?  
Does he like Pearl Jam or the Stones?  
And do you think he rolls his own,  
Up there in Heaven on the throne?  
  
And when the saints go marching home,  
Maybe he sits and smokes a bone.  
  
When Kagome calmed herself down after the song was over, she turned to Inuyasha who was looking very pleased with himself. "Where did you guys find that song?"  
  
"Internet," he said casually. He then turned to Shippo and Kirara. "Yo, guys!" he barked, "let's go! We need to find Miroku and Sango!"  
  
The two freshmen hopped off the couch, hand-in-hand, and strode over to Kagome and Inuyasha. "I think I saw them go out front. And what about Naraku?" Shippo asked.  
  
"I wouldn't worry too much about Naraku," Kagome said with a light laugh. "The last I saw of him, Yura was dragging him away out back to play with his hair." She burst out laughing again at the looks her three companions gave her. "Don't worry, he's in good hands. If Yura likes his hair as much as I think she does, she wouldn't dare do him any harm."  
  
"It's not the possibility of harming him I'm worried about," Inuyasha muttered. "That woman if freakin' scary... Then again, so is Naraku..."  
  
"Wouldn't they make a cute couple?" Kirara giggled. "A couple years down the road, they get married in an abandoned gothic cathedral and have a healthy, 8-pound vampire."  
  
Kagome had to admit, that was a very amusing mental image. "Anyway, let's just go find Sango and Miroku." Kagome strode over to the front door and opened it, only to be greeted by a terrifying sight.  
  
Miroku was sprawled on the ground on his back, using his legs to keep Hiten off of him who was madly thrashing out for his neck. Manten was trying to help his brother while at the same time trying wrestle off Sango who now held him in a very painful guillotine headlock.  
  
Manten managed to throw his body forward and tossed Sango over his back. Before she could recover, he grabbed her by the shoulders and used his great strength to throw her across the yard. Manten then tackled his brother and Miroku. The latter ended up face-down in the dirt as Hiten and Manten proceeded to pummel him.  
  
Kagome bit back a gasp of horror as she saw for the first time just what a real fight was. She had never seen one personally before and this new revelation made her wonder how she could ever just shrug off the stories she had heard about the jocks assaulting the losers.  
  
What happened next took place in about two seconds. Sango had regained her bearings and delivered a hard flying kick to Manten's kidneys, knocking him off Miroku and onto the ground. Meanwhile, Inuyasha shoved past Kagome and thrust a powerful right hook to the side of Hiten's head followed by a snap kick to the ribs. He moved so fast it was like a blur. Hiten was mercifully out cold by the time he hit the ground.  
  
Manten slowly staggered to his feet, but promptly dropped down unconscious when Naraku emerged from the shadows and drove a devastating punch into the burly jock's jaw, bringing forth a sickening crack.  
  
The fight was over as quickly as it had begun.  
  
***************************  
  
Yura was actually enjoying herself. Naraku seemed to be the only one who wasn't freaked out by her little games. All her life, people wanted to be her friend, but nothing more, so she had never had a boyfriend before. It was refreshing and strange at the same time then when Naraku seemed to enjoy her company so much.  
  
"Have my way with you? Don't tempt me," he growled seductively. Finally, a guy who wasn't afraid to have a little fun. Wasn't he supposed to be one of the losers, though? Oh well, like anyone was going to know. They never saw each other at school except in detention. Besides, they were alone right now, weren't they?  
  
"You dirty little rapist," Yura teased. She leaned her head on his strong shoulder and squeezed his hand. His nails were unusually long for a guy, almost like claws, and his hand felt like warm steel wrapped up in skin.  
  
"Well you're not exactly trying to discourage me," Naraku replied. "Pressing up against me in that sexy little outfit of yours." She could tell he was definately enjoying this.  
  
Suddenly, there came some odd sounds followed by shouting and Yura felt Naraku tense up. "Up front," he said curtly. "Wait here." With that, he released her hand and took off.  
  
"Wait here?" Yura repeated. "Fuck that!" She dashed off in the direction she saw Naraku bolt in and arrived in the front yard just in time to see him sucker punch Manten and join Inuyasha and Shippo in helping up a fallen Miroku.  
  
He left her to go pick a fight? Of all the rude, insensitive...! Yura felt rage boiling up inside of her.  
  
"What happened?" Naraku asked.  
  
"Bastards jumped me," Miroku spat. "They were the ones that threw the first punch, as always."  
  
Yura stood by in the shadows as the boys hleped Miroku to the porch. She gasped in surprise when Sango helped the beaten boy out of his duster coat and began checking the bruises that were beginning to form on his ribs. Kagome was there, too. "Why are they taking those three's side?" Yura thought aloud.  
  
***************************  
  
"It's okay, Miroku," Kirara said comfortingly. "They got theirs. Why don't we just get you home and cleaned up?" The best thing Miroku needed now was an aspirin and some rest. In just a few seconds of fighting, he had taken some nasty blows.  
  
"Why don't we stop at my house first," Sango suggested. "It's only a few minutes away and I've got some medicine he can use." The girl was obviously taking Kirara's advice to heart, at last.  
  
Kirara turned to Inuyasha and nodded. The two of them gave Miroku a hand up and support.  
  
"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Naraku said somewhat nervously. "I kind of left something unfinished." Before we anyone could question anything, he took off.  
  
"What happened to his jacket?" Kirara thought aloud. Of course, she figured the answer was pretty obvious.  
  
The trip was fairly uneventful. Unless you counted Inuyasha showing his true nature as a speed demon. He had apparently been nice enough to keep the daredevil driving toned down coming to the party, but now that he was pissed off and worried about his friend, all bets were off.  
  
"WE'RE GONNA DIE!!" Shippo screamed as Inuyasha barrelled down a one-way street in the wrong direction.  
  
"Eat me!" Inuyasha shouted back. He tried to shrug Kagome, who was now clinging to him like a lifeline, off with little success. He growled in frustration as a car came straight for them. "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!" He swerved at the last second and narrowly avoided side-swiping the other car.  
  
Miroku, fortunately, seemed accustomed to Inuyasha's break-neck style of driving and placed an arm around Sango's shoulders for moral support, considering she was looking pretty pale herself.  
  
For her part, Kirara was trying her hardest to stay composed. She had no problem admitting, however, that she was beginning to feel sick every time Inuyasha made a sharp turn without slowing down.  
  
"Inuyasha," Miroku said calmly, "could you put on Fly By Night? It's the last track on the CD currently stuck in the player."  
  
Inuyasha mutely complied. Kirara liked this song, but it really didn't help take the edge off her screaming self-preservation instincts that were torn between curling into Shippo for moral support, or risking the injuries of jumping out of the car rather than facing a crash.  
  
"Well Sango," Miroku said, looking down at the frightened girl beside him, "I told you I'd have to play some Rush for you. This seems like as good a time as any."  
  
Why try? I know why.  
This feeling inside me says it's time I was gone.  
Clear head, new life ahead.  
It's time I was king, and not just one more pawn.  
  
Fly by night away from here.  
Change my life again.  
Fly by night, good bye my dear.  
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.  
  
Moonrise, thoughtful eyes,  
Staring back at me from the window beside.  
No fright, or hindsight.  
Leaving behind that empty feeling inside.  
  
Fly by night away from here.  
Change my life again.  
Fly by night, good bye my dear.  
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend. Wow!  
  
At this point the song broke into a bridge with some upbeat guitarwork, and Inuyasha and Miroku began swaying and bobbing their heads to it. Inuyasha even began moving his lips as if sounding out the guitar part. Kirara would have found it very funny and probably would have joined them if she wasn't still fearing for her life. Could Inuyasha drive and get into his music at the same time? Safely?  
  
Fly by night away from here.  
Change my life again.  
Fly by night, good bye my dear.  
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.  
  
Start a new chapter,  
Find what I'm after.  
It's changing every day.  
  
Change of a season,  
Is enough of a reason,  
To want to get away.  
  
Quiet and pensive,  
My thoughts apprehensive,  
The hours drift away.  
  
Leaving my homeland,  
Playing a lone hand,  
My life begins today!  
  
Fly by night away from here.  
Change my life again.  
Fly by night, good bye my dear.  
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.  
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.  
  
Fly by night away from here.  
Change my life again.  
Fly by night, good bye my dear.  
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.  
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.  
My ship isn't coming and I just can't prete-ee-e-ee-end!  
  
The song ended just as Inuyasha pulled the car to a screeching halt in front of Sango's home. She had managed to give him directions before they drove off, fortunately.  
  
Kirara took this opportunity to relax for a few minutes with her head on Shippo's shoulder as Sango leaped out of the car, looking very happy to escape for a couple minutes, and slipped into her house.  
  
"Kagome," Kirara heard Inuyasha say from the front of the car, "are you okay? There's like, no color left in your face. And could you let you go of me? My arm is going numb."  
  
A soft eep from the front seat and a mumbled apology later, and Sango came back with a small grocery bag in one hand. "Let's go. And this time, not so fast!"  
  
Sango's pleas fell on deaf ears as Inuyasha raced his way through the streets with out a word to show that he heard anything.  
  
'Why me?' Kirara thought. 'Maybe I can convice Inuyasha to drop me off with Shippo. Maybe if I plead with my dad he'll let me stay the night. Better than risking more of Inuyasha's driving.'  
  
**********************  
  
Miroku couldn't understand why everyone was always so panicked about Inuyasha's driving. True, it was dangerous like all get out, but the boy had superior reflexes and knew how to handle the car. Miroku trusted him, in other words.  
  
He had to help Sango out after they finally pulled up to his house. The girl looked a little green around the gills. Where the hell did an expression like that come from, anyway? Oh well, like it mattered at this time?  
  
The two young people supported each other as they came through the front door and Miroku looked around briefly. "Mom!? I'm home!"  
  
A feminine voice floated out from the den. "Really? So early? I expected you to be out later than that!"  
  
"Plans change!" Miroku called back. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought a friend over."  
  
"That's fine by me, dear! There's some leftover turkey in the fridge if you're hungry, and I'm sorry I can't come out to see you, but they're supposed to show news of your father in a minute and I want to know what's happening!"  
  
Miroku's father was one of the men sent to Iraq to fight in the war. The family didn't like it, but they didn't have a choice. "I understand!" With that he motioned for Sango to follow his lead and they slipped upstairs to his room.  
  
Miroku could tell that Sango was still a little apprehensive around him, though he couldn't blame her. The reputation he had built these last few years wasn't exactly encouraging. He decided to simply keep his mouth shut, not wanting to risk saying something unbelievably stupid right now.  
  
Miroku's room looked like a warzone. Clutter and magazines covered the floor, the desk was littered with garbage, and the wall wasn't even visible anymore because it had been covered in posters and photo collages. "Sorry the place is such a mess. I wasn't exactly expecting company," he apologized.  
  
Sango sat him down the bed and helped him out of his coat. "Don't worry about it. My brother's room is just as bad. Now lay down on your back, put your hands over your head and relax."  
  
Miroku did as he was told and watched Sango remove a few bottles of medicine from her bag. They looked like wierd herbal remedies. He couldn't help but feel a small tinge of pride and hope when he saw Sango's face heat up as she inspected his bruises and cuts. Back in his freshman year, he remembered overhearing her talking to Kagome and saying how she thought guys built like Olympic swimmers were really sexy, with long, lean limbs and toned without being too bulky. He had been cultivating that look ever since.  
  
He tried to keep a smile off his face, not wanting to emberass her further. "So, what are we using?" he asked conversationally.  
  
Sango looked up into his eyes for a moment before returning to her work. "Just a little bruise linament and some tiger balm." She opened up a small bottle filled with some dark liquid and began dabbing it on his bruises. The strong scent of herbs and alcohol filled the room as she rubbed it into Miroku's skin. "Tell me if this hurts, okay?"  
  
Miroku merely nodded. Even if Sango was just doing this to make sure he was okay, there was no reason he shouldn't enjoy it while he could. "Nope. Nothing. You've got a healer's touch." For once his compliment seemed well-recieved when he saw her smile slightly with a faint blush on her cheeks.  
  
The two spent a few minutes in a comfortable silence as Sango finished tending Miroku's injuries. The tiger balm smelled even stronger than the dark liquid and burned slightly, but it passed quickly.  
  
Sango stood up and looked around the room a moment. "So this is what goes on in your head?" she asked softly.  
  
Miroku chuckled softly. "Sort of. It doesn't show the true depths of my dementia, but then again, what does?" Surprisingly, Sango actually seemed to be unwinding the more they talked. It was as if she was beginning to see through him after all these years.  
  
He had to stay calm, though, when Sango saw his bass leaning in the corner. He really didn't want his secret out yet, especially since Inuyasha had now revealed that he could play guitar. "I didn't know you played," she remarked curiously.  
  
"It gives me something to do," Miroku shrugged. "I mostly just play basslines by Rush. Geddy Lee is an incredible bassist. That and his voice are probably nature's way of compensating him for the fact that he looks like the Wicked Witch of the West."  
  
Sango giggled slightly. "Could you play me something?" she asked, handing him his bass.  
  
Miroku saw no reason not to accept and plugged in is amp. He debated for a moment what to play as he tuned his instrument and simply decided to play the bassline to Time Stand Still.   
  
It wasn't exactly a spectacular performance, but the bass wasn't designed to be flamboyant and bold like a guitar. It was subtle, creating rhythms and beats with its deep, rich sounds that pulled you into the song. This suited Miroku well, for subtlety was one of his most prominent features. Sango seemed to agree, at least. She simply sat on the bed beside him and listened with a soft smile.  
  
Things were starting to take a turn for the better. All of these changes in a little over a week. Even Sango was starting to come around. "What song was that from?" she asked when he had finished.  
  
"Time Stand Still," Miroku replied, though secretly he said it aloud in puerile fantasy that maybe it would. Naturally it wouldn't work, but what life is complete without fantasies, after all?  
  
*********************  
  
Author's Notes: I can't believe I'm actually finishing this before I leave the country. Anyway, mid-April you'll see the next chapter and hopefully things will speed up slightly during Spring Break. Unless my new job gets in the way. That's the problem with money: you need it, but getting it is hard.  
Ha! Miroku an agnostic. Bet you didn't see that one coming! I did it just to be different. I keep seeing people make some kind of connection to Miroku's character on the series by making him Buddhist or nicknaming his 'Priest' or something like that, so I figured I'd do things differently just to get a reaction.  
There will be some mindless fluff (for real this time) in the next chapter. And we'll finally establish a main antagonist, though you can probably guess who that is.  
I'm disappointed, also. No one even tried to guess my name or the show where I got the surnames from. Don't you people listen to me? Or do you breeze over all my little notes, not interested in the least in what I have to say? 


	10. I Want to Make Him Regret Life Since the

Author's Notes: At last I have returned! Italy is absolutely beautiful. The stuff you can get there kicks ass too. I think I'm enjoying my new Florentine leather duster coat a little too much.  
Anyway my long hiatus is over and the next chapter is here. I promised you fluff and by everything that I hold sacred you're going to get it. Soon. My original plan was to have this chapter be nothing but fluff, but then this idea hit me and the fluff got moved to next chapter. There's still lots of comedy, but with a darker ending I think you'll like. It will be a little shorter than usual, though, because I wanted to get something posted. If I have time, I'll even give you all a special bonus by the end of the day or tomorrow. Not another chapter, but a bonus nonetheless.  
None of you won at my little game. Not a one. My real name was featured in the story, first mentioned in chapter 2, then again in 5. If you recall, Sesshoumaru named his greyhound Alexander after the Macedonian conqueror. That's my name.  
Also, you all did wrong in assuming that I got most of the surnames from an anime. I said I got them from a show, that doesn't necessarily mean an anime. WHOSE CUISINE REIGNS SUPREME?! That's right, Iron Chef! I got the names from Iron Chef. Have any of you ever seen that? It's one of the coolest shows ever.  
Finally, I've been asked about whether or not Kagura or Kanna will be appearing in the story. The answer: not in the foreseeable future. I haven't gotten that far in the manga yet and I only have access to so many episodes of the show. I only saw enough just enough episodes with Koga in them for me to feel comfortable working him into the story.  
That about fills up my quota for ranting. Let's go on.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 10: I Want to Make Him Regret Life Since the Day He Met You  
  
The next day at school, things were a little... strange. Those who were at the party had spread the word about what had happened, and now nobody was sure what was what. The social classes seemed fuzzy and indistinct and people couldn't decide who was cool and who wasn't anymore. Needless to say, Inuyasha was feeling pretty good about himself right now. "I think we've brought in a revolution," he remarked at lunch.  
  
Shippo looked up from his usual Three Card Monte hand and grinned. "Duh!" He then turned back to the crowded lunch room. "Come on, find the lady! Find the lady! Where'd she go? Nobody knows! Find the lady! Dollar to play!"  
  
Miroku and Kirara sat on either end of Shippo and shook their heads as another fool stepped up to be swindled. After five rounds, the unhappy jock walked away only to be replaced by a very eerie sight.  
  
Naraku glided rather than walked into the cafeteria and sat down across from his friends. What was truly frightening, however, was the dreamy smile on his pale face.  
  
Everyone stared for a moment, unsure what to think. Finally, Shippo cracked a grin. "Hey, Prince of Darkness! You look pretty happy. Steal any good souls lately or something?"  
  
"I don't think so, Shippo," Miroku said. "There are only two things in the world that can give a man a grin like that: drugs and sex."  
  
"Let's have it, Naraku," Inuyasha said.  
  
The goth boy looked confused for a second. He looked back and forth between his friends a moment before raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"  
  
"If you scored some dope, where can we get some?" Inuyasha explained.  
  
"And if you just plain scored, who with?" Miroku finished.  
  
Inuyasha was a little unprepared for the answer. He distinctly heard Naraku mutter "Yura Hayasaka," but that didn't mean he had to believe it right away. "I'm surprised, and yet I'm not. Is that natural?"  
  
"How exactly did that happen?" Shippo asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah," Kirara chimed in, "is that really what playing with your hair lead to?"  
  
"How was it?" Miroku asked with a teasing grin.  
  
Naraku fidgeted for a moment, turning his head so that his hair fell into his face and partially obscured his features. "I wasn't expecting the Spanish Inquisition," he mumbled.  
  
Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara all looked at one another, nodded, and screamed at the goth in front of them in unison. "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!!" Several people at nearby tables turned around and stared, but that was to be expected.  
  
Naraku just shook his head. "I walked right into that. That was so avoidable."  
  
"Yes it was," Shippo agreed. "Now tell us or we'll make you sit in the comfy chair."  
  
Naraku sighed and began his story from the point where he left Yura to help Miroku.  
  
*******************************  
  
(FLASHBACK)  
  
Naraku dashed back toward the backyard only to collide with Yura as he rounded the corner. He stood up with a quick apology and offered her a hand up, which she accepted. He was a little surprised however when she promptly slapped and twisted him around into a painful armlock. She was surprisingly strong. "What the hell did I do?! Ow, seriously, that hurts!"  
  
"You know damn well what you did," she spat. "You're just like every other guy in the world. Here's a little tip for the future: when you're out with a girl, don't ditch her to start fights. We really don't like that." She tightened the arm lock and threw him to the ground.  
  
Naraku rolled his abused shoulder and stood up. "I didn't start that fight! They were kicking my friend's ass so I went to help! What the hell did you expect me to do?! Stand by and watch Hiten and Manten beat Miroku into a bloody lifeless pulp?!" Now he was pissed. Just who did she think she was, acting like she was so damn important?  
  
"Nice try," Yura scoffed. "You may be a good liar, but I'm not buying it this time. Great hair you may have, but that's all you're good for."  
  
Naraku sneered. This was beginning to work his last nerve. "Well then, it seems looks are all you have going for you if you're not smart enough to figure out something as obvious as this! Why the fuck would I lie about that?! Huh? God, you stuck up bitches are all the same! You think that just because you have guys drooling over you you're never think you're wrong! You can't admit a god damn mistake!"  
  
The whole thing was quickly dissolving into nothing but a screaming match. "Oh yeah!" Yura shot back. "Well you freaks are all the same! You think you know everything! And you think you're better than us just because you dress wierd! Just because we have it better than you-"  
  
"Better than...?! Oh, for the love of god! At least we know why people hate us! Did you ever stop to think that we are sentient just like you! Damn all you conformists to hell!"  
  
"Well fuck you too!"  
  
"Fuck you and the horse you rode in on, bitch!"  
  
"Well if you're so eager, why don't you just go ahead and fuck me yourself!" Why the hell did she say that?  
  
"Maybe I will!" Better question: where the bloody hell did that come from?!  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"Fine!" With that, Naraku grabbed Yura, crushing her body to his as he kissed her passionately, carried her off to the forest behind Koga's house and...  
  
*******************************  
  
(END FLASHBACK)  
  
"... Well the story writes itself from there. In case you're wondering, it was consentual." Naraku tried a casual shrug but was still fidgeting uncomfortably. Then came another one of those big awkward silences.  
  
"... Wow," Inuyasha said at last. "In the woods... In the dead of night... With a mass of people not far away... Naraku... Yura... Coupling... Am I the only one who doesn't want to ever speak of this again?"  
  
There was a unanimous shaking of heads as Kagome and Sango finally emerged from the long lunch line with their trays. There was no shortage of places to sit today, so it was a little bit of a surprise to Inuyasha when Kagome decided to sit beside him and Sango across from Miroku. His sensitive ears picked up a familiar song. "Sango? Is that Time Stand Still you're humming?"  
  
Sango seemed to snap out of a dream. "Huh? Oh, yeah it is. My new favorite song." She was talking to Inuyasha but very obviously looking at Miroku. He wondered for a moment if he was the only one of his friends not getting laid, but he remembered Shippo saying he wanted to wait a little longer and Miroku didn't have the just-got-some look that Naraku did. So Inuyasha was just the only guy who wasn't getting any action in any way, shape, or form.  
  
"Inuyasha?" he heard Kagome say timidly beside him.  
  
He turned to face her. "Something on your mind?"  
  
*******************************  
  
Kagome swallowed quietly. How did he do this to her? One look at those eyes and she felt like she could faint. "First of all, I want to thank you again for last night. Even with that little incident I still had fun. And I owe you one for putting Koga in his place." Okay that part wasn't too hard. Maybe it will make the next part easier.  
  
Inuyasha smiled softly. "No problem. Don't feel obliged to me either. It was a privelege to do all that."  
  
Nevermind. Kagome could not understand just what it was about him that made her react the way she did. But she would find out. She would find out if it was the last thing she ever did.  
  
She prepared herself for what came next. There was still one more thing to talk to him about before she dropped the bomb. "Anyway, I was talking with my mom last night and this morning. One thing she wanted me to ask you is if you'll give Sota lessons on the guitar. She'd pay you for your time, of course."  
  
Inuyasha seemed thoughtful for a moment. "Normally, I'm not very good with kids."  
  
Kagome sighed. She should have expected as much. Sota was going to be really disappointed. Maybe it would be better to lie and tell him Inuyasha had too much going on to spare the time. That would be the worst lie she ever told. As far as she knew, Inuyasha didn't even have a job.  
  
Her spirits picked up, however, when she heard him speak again. "But I kinda like your brother. In his case I can make an exception."  
  
Kagome smiled. This was going better than she had expected. "You will? That's great! Sota will be thrilled. One more thing."  
  
"Shoot," Inuyasha said coolly.  
  
Kagome took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "I was wondering if you had any plans for tonight?" Twelve hours of thought, and this really was the best she could come up with. Was there ever a non-awkward way to do these things?  
  
The table fell silent and everyone stared at Kagome who turned beat red.  
  
"Well this is an interesting role reversal," Miroku calmly mused.  
  
"Shut up, Miroku," Inuyasha said off-handedly. "Actually, I got an interesting idea. Can I pitch this to you, see what you think?"  
  
Kagome nodded. At least someone was handling this well.  
  
"Miroku, Shippo, and I were going to cruise around the waterfront and some of the less crowded commercial areas of the city for a while. It's just something we do. Kirara is already coming with us. If you want, there's always room in th group. We'll make a night of it." Inuyasha gave Kagome an inviting smile. "What do you think? An evening of window shopping, fast food, and looking for trouble."  
  
Kagome had to admit, it did sound very tempting. Lately, any time she got to spend with Inuyasha was starting to sound good. "Sure."  
  
"Great! We'll pick you up around 5, okay?"  
  
"Hey, uh... mind if I come along, too?" Sango nervous? She was still looking at Miroku who was now giving her a reassuring smile as he told her she was most welcome to join them. That night must have really made an impact on her.  
  
*******************************  
  
Kagome was a little nervous at first. This wasn't the first time she had been out with her new friends, but this was a little different from last time. As she waited for Inuyasha's car to pull up, she mused slightly over the whole new situation. She couldn't believe she had ever been so blind before. Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo... They were so different because they knew they had to be themselves. They weren't afraid to be different. She admired that. Maybe this could help her make a turn for the best.  
  
To Kagome's surprise, it wasn't the familiar Viper that pulled up. It was a royal purple PT Cruiser with Miroku in the driver's seat. Kagome couldn't help but feel a little relieved at that. As great a guy as Inuyasha was, she really did not care for his driving. "They're here, Mom! I'll see you later!" she called as she dashed out the door.  
  
She vaguely heard her mother's goodbye, but that was soon drowned out by the laughing and whooping of the crowd in the car.  
  
She opened the door and hopped in. Sango was in the passenger seat, Shippo and Kirara were once again sharing a seat on the left, and Inuyasha was in the middle. "Hey guys! Where are we going first?"  
  
"Waterfront," Inuyasha replied. "Miroku! Music, now!" He then turned back to Kagome. "I love this song. Achilles' Last Stand by Led Zeppelin."  
  
As they drove off, the intro led Kagome to conjure up thoughts of hard roads, journeys, action, and adventure. Wierd. She never would have thought that much about music before.  
  
Inuyasha was already getting into the song, bobbing his head to the beat. He started lipsynching when the lyrics came up.  
  
It was an April morning when they told us we should go.  
And as I turned to you, you smiled at me.  
How could we say no?  
  
With all the fun to have to live the dreams we've always had,  
Oh, the songs to sing, when we at last return again.  
  
Here Inuyasha started playing air guitar again. He must have really enjoyed playing since he seemed to start doing that unconsciously. Kagome couldn't help but smile and join in bobbing her head.  
  
Sending off a glancing kiss to those who claim they know.  
Below the streets that steam and hiss,  
The devil's in his hole.  
  
Oh, to sail away, to sandy lands and other days.  
Oh, to touch the dream, hides inside and never seen, yeah.  
  
Into the sun, the south, the north, at last the birds have flown.  
The shackles of commitment fell in pieces on the ground.  
  
Oh, to ride the wind, to tread the air above the din.  
Oh, to laugh aloud, dancing as we fought the crowd, yeah.  
  
To seek the man whose pointing hand the giant step unfolds,  
With guidance from the curving path that churns up into stone.  
  
If one bell should ring in celebration for a king,  
So fast the heart should beat, as proud the head with heavy feet, yeah.  
  
Ooh!  
  
The song went into a bridge with very distinctive guitar work. Whoever Led Zeppelin's guitarist was, he was good. Really, really good. Kagome was beginning to see just why Inuyasha liked this band so much.  
  
Inuyasha glanced around for a second. "Roll down the windows and turn up the volume! We're gong to piss off every conformist we see!"  
  
Miroku complied and Inuyasha resumed playing air guitar.  
  
Days went by when you and I, bathed in eternal summers glow,  
As far away and distant our mutual child did grow.  
  
Oh, the sweet refrain that soothes the soul and calms the pain.  
Oh, Albion remains, sleeping now to rise again.  
  
Wandering and wandering. What place to rest the search?  
The mighty arms of Atlas hold the heavens from the earth.  
  
Inuyasha's face split in a huge grin and he turned to Kagome and Sango. "Follow our lead, come on!" With that he began singing along with Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara.  
  
Kagome fell into it easily and started singing with them. This was damn fun!  
  
To her surprise, Inuyasha popped open the sun roof and stood up, sticking his upper body out of the car and singing loudly for the whole street to hear.  
  
The mighty arms of Atlas hold the heavens from the earth.  
From the ea-ea-ea-ea-ea-earth!  
  
Whoah!  
  
(Whoah!) I know the way, know the way, know the way, know the way!  
(Whoah!) I know the way, know the way, know the way, know the way!  
  
Whoah!  
Whoah!  
  
Ah, ah! Ah, ah!  
Ah, ah! Ah, ah!  
Ah, ah! Ah, ah!  
Ah, ah! Ah, ah!  
Ah, ah! Ah, ah!  
  
Aah!  
Ooh!  
Ooh!  
Ooh!  
  
Well, the mighty arms of Atlas hold the heavens from the earth.  
(Aah-ooh)  
Ah, ah! Ah, ah!  
Ah, ah! Ah, ah!  
Ah, ah! Ah, ah!  
Ah, ah! Ah, ah!  
  
Whoo!  
  
As the song slowly faded to a close, Kagome started laughing and shouting with the other people in the car with her. With these five friends of hers, she couldn't recall any time when she had ever had so much fun. It all felt so right.  
  
***************************  
  
Meanwhile, Koga was back at his home fuming. He had managed to get the place cleaned up after his guests trashed it, but what really bothered him was the presence of Inuyasha and his little friends. They were brainwashing Kagome. His Kagome! What was that mistake of nature doing to her?  
  
This would not stand. Koga would not let this go. He had been playing around with that mongrel far too long. Something needed to be done! He needed to be taken out of the picture... once and for all.  
  
Koga put on his stereo. He didn't care what anyone said, he liked bands like Linkin Park and especially Nickelback. Some thought he was strange for it, but seeing as how he seldom listened to it in front of them, they never questioned him. After all, he was the star player of the track team wasn't he?  
  
He picked the perfect song to match his thoughts: Just For.  
  
I want to take his eyes out,  
Just for looking at you.  
Yes I do.  
And I want to take his hands off,  
Just for touching you.  
Yes I do.  
  
The more Koga listened to this song, the more he convinced himself he was in the right.  
  
And I want to rip his heart out,  
Just for hurting you!  
And I want to break his mind down!  
Yes I do!  
  
How dare that mutt go anywhere near his girl! He would deal with him very soon, though.  
  
And I want to make him,  
Regret life since the day he met you.  
Yes I do.  
And I want to make him,  
Take back all that he took from you.  
Yes I do.  
  
Inuyasha would have to pay. Koga would make him suffer. He would make him weep. He would make him regret the first breath he took the day he was born.  
  
All Koga needed was the time to think of how. With ideas buzzing around in his head, it wouldn't be long now. Kagome would be his and that mutant would no longer be a problem.  
  
And I want to rip his heart out,  
Just for hurting you!  
And I want to break his mind down!  
Yes I do!  
  
*****************************  
  
Author's Notes: Yes, shorter than usual, but as I said, I just wanted to get something out. I might have time to give you that bonus I mentioned by tomorrow. Consider it a little gift for patiently waiting so long. 


	11. When They Were Born, They Were Born To B

Author's Notes: Here I am with another chapter. Fluff and plot this time! Sorry about that bonus I promised all of you. It might take longer than originally planned to get it out. My CD player's being a pain.  
  
Anyway, I'd like to take a moment to address a couple of questions, comments, and suggestions I've seen in all your reviews.  
  
First off, I'm not insulting Linkin Park. I'm not a big fan, but I do like a couple of their songs. I may think Linkin Park is a tad over-rated, but they aren't terrible. Remember, just because Koga likes it doesn't make it bad. It just means that he has slightly better taste than other conformists.  
  
The same can be said for Nickelback. I actually like their album Silver Side Up or I wouldn't have bothered putting in Just For.  
  
Also concerning Koga, the revenge he has planned is quite serious. He's in one of those states where you not only want to physically hurt someone, but you also want to destroy any shred of pride or dignity they had left.  
  
Finally, the band will be back starting this chapter. Also, a couple scenarios I just really needed to get out of my system here, too. I think you'll find them pretty funny.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 11- When They Were Born, They Were Born To Be Wild  
  
Inuyasha flopped back down into his seat laughing. Looking out the window as they passed, he watched the people go by staring at the car as if all the people in it were insane. Damn, that felt good. "Hey Miroku! Next song! We need a timeless classic!"  
  
Miroku glanced back at Inuyasha and smirked before looking at the road again. "You're actually going to sing that one?" he asked amusedly.  
  
"Why not?" If he was going to look like a dog his whole life, might as well have fun with it. At least, that's what Inuyasha figured as good old Warren Zevon came on.  
  
I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand,  
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain.  
He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook's,  
For to get a big dish of beef chow mein.  
  
Ahoo, werewolves of London! Ahoo!  
Ahoo, werewolves of London! Ahoo!  
  
If you hear him howling around your kitchen door,  
Better not let him in.  
Little old lady got mutilated late last night.  
Werewolves of London again.  
  
Ahoo, werewolves of London! Ahoo!  
Ahoo, werewolves of London! Ahoo!  
  
He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amuck in Kent.  
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair.  
You better stay away from him,  
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim.  
I'd like to meet his tailor.  
  
Ahoo, werewolves of London! Ahoo!  
Ahoo, werewolves of London! Ahoo!  
  
Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen,  
Doing the werewolves of London.  
I saw Lon Chaney Jr. walking with the Queen,  
Doing the werewolves of London.  
I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's.  
His hair was perfect.  
  
Ahoo, werewolves of London!  
Draw blood.  
Ahoo, werewolves of London!  
  
Inuyasha saw Kagome giving him an odd, yet very amused look. "What?" he asked somewhat defensively.  
  
Kagome just shook her head. "Nothing. Is there any place in particular we're going, or are we just going to keep cruising around making people think we're insane?"  
  
"Actually, we do have something planned," Miroku said over his shoulder.  
  
"We're going out to dinner at this new theme restaurant Naraku showed us," Shippo picked up. "At the far wall they have an old drive-in movie screen and they show really old and/or bad monster movies and stuff like that. They let you shout at the screen and everything!"  
  
"It's called Cult Classics Theatre," Inuyasha finished. It really was a great place to eat, he just hoped the girls would like it, too.  
  
"Sounds fun," Kagome said with a smile.  
  
***************************  
  
Kagome wasn't quite sure what to expect. The restaurant turned out to be an old building with a red brick facade and the name on a big sign over the entrance with a monster's sillhouette on one side and the letters in that wierd font they always used in old movies that looked like dripping blood. The inside was a large dark room filled with tables with a small stage at the left wall and a movie screen at the far wall. On the right were a set of doors that Kagome realized lead to the kitchen since she saw waiters coming in and out of them.  
  
Above the screen was a digital display that listed one-by-one in blocky red letters the movies that were showing tonight. It scrolled down and read "NEXT FEATURE: WEREWOLF. STARTING IN 5 MINUTES."  
  
"Sweet!" Shippo chuckled. "We made it in time for the next feature. I saw this once. The people in that movie all have unplaceable accents, and it stars Martin Sheen's pretentious and much-less-talented brother."  
  
Kagome and Sango sent each other skeptical looks while a waitress came up and brought them to their table. No sooner were they seated, however, than Kagome made out two familiar forms in the dim light. She not only made out those two forms, but also realized they themselves were making out. "Yura? Naraku?"  
  
The two pulled apart as all their friends turned to look at them in surprise. "Well, surprise, surprise!" Shippo said. "Second date, Prince of Darkness? You two official now?"  
  
Yura and Naraku looked at one another for a moment before smiling. "I guess we are," Naraku said and went right back to making out with Yura who then shifted herself into his lap.  
  
"A match made in heaven," Kirara said flatly.  
  
"More like purgatory," Miroku corrected. "I can't put concepts of paradise in the same sentence as those two."  
  
The group's waitress returned a minute later with a set of menus. "Welcome to Cult Classics, what can I get you?"  
  
Miroku went first. "I'll have the turkey club and a small Sprite."  
  
Kirara was next. "Fish sandwich with fries and a glass of water."  
  
Then Sango. "Just the salad."  
  
Then Shippo. "Chicken fingers with honey mustard sauce and a small Citra."  
  
Kagome came next. "Um... I'll have the grilled chicken sandwich with no mayo and a medium Coke."  
  
And finally Inuyasha. "Barbecue bacon double cheeseburger with cheese fries and a large Vanilla Coke."  
  
After their orders were taken the movie started. The title card came up and throughout the opening credits the theme music turned out to be some really fakey sounding American Indian chanting. "Jesus! This movie hasn't even started a plot and already it's falling apart," Inuyasha joked with his usual smirk plastered to his face.  
  
Dinner arrived shortly and the movie continued to suck. Miroku and Shippo particularly enjoyed making fun of the woman whose accent seemed to change every other sentence.  
  
"And the plot thinnens," Miroku said dryly as the villain drugged a security guard and gave him an injection to turn him into a werewolf.  
  
"So far my favorite part of the movie was the groundskeeper/dictator-for-life Santa guy," Kirara said through a mouthful of her sandwich.  
  
"Yeah, the movie should have had more of him," Shippo agreed.  
  
Kagome found it amazing how good friends and being allowed to voice one's opinions as loudly as you wanted could make a movie this bad feel this enjoyable. As the security gaurd/werewolf bit the dust, she decided to try her hand at dissing the movie. "So what's the body count so far? One hospital guard, maybe, and the two least successful werewolves in all of history."  
  
Inuyasha laughed beside her. "Yeah, you're right. Normally, I'd be scared of some horrible shapeshifting man-beast, but these little pusses I could just shove right over."  
  
Kagome felt her heart skip a beat when Inuyasha smiled at her. How exactly did this happen? Ever since that night when he played Stairway to Heaven for her... correction, for her family, she'd began to think of him in entirely new ways.  
  
Whatever these new feeling were, though, Kagome certainly wasn't complaining about having them. She always felt so safe around him. Whenever he smiled, she wanted to smile too. Even more so when she knew that she was the one who had made him happy. She just wanted to see him happy.  
  
Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. Kagome realized right then and there that she might just be falling for Inuyasha. She sat dumbstruck for a minute before a soft smile touched her lips. Was this really a time to be worrying about this? She was happy here and now wasn't she? Enjoy the moment.  
  
**************************  
  
The movie closed with a twist ending everybody saw coming and the end credits had more of the fakey chanting. Despite how terrible it was, Kagome was still having fun. She'd have to come here more often.  
  
Suddenly, Inuyasha's ears twitched and he looked to his friends. "Hey guys! I got an idea, follow my lead." He then cleared his throat and started singing. "Catch the wind, see us spin, sail away, leave today, way up high, in the sky. And whoah, but the wind won't blow, you really shouldn't go, it only goes to show- Go!" He pointed to Miroku at the last word.  
  
Miroku seemed confused for a second then smiled in understanding and picked up singing his own song. "I'll wear my sunglasses at night- Go!" This time he pointed to Shippo who had now caught on.  
  
"Give it away, give it away, give it away, give it away now! Give it away, give it away, give it away, give it away now! Go!" He pointed to Inuyasha and the cycle started up again.  
  
"Gypsies, trramps, and thieves. We heard it from the people in the town. Go!"  
  
"Everybody wants to rule the world. Go!"  
  
"And every single case in a year or two will be erased! Go!"  
  
"I say goodbye to romance, yeah. Goodbye to friends. Go!"  
  
"Cats in the cradle and the silver spoon. Little Boy Blue and the Man in the Moon. Go!"  
  
"Do you really want to hurt me? Do you really want to make me cry? Go!"  
  
"Sure as the dust that floats high in June, when moving through Kashmir. Go!"  
  
"Tobes of Hades lit by flickering torchlight. The netherworld is gathered in the glare. Prince By-Tor takes the cavern to the north light. The sign of Eth is rising in the air. Go!"  
  
"My heart calls out 'More, baby.' It feels so nice I want your arms to wrap around me twice." Shippo was rather noticeably smiling at Kirara when he sang that which resulted in the two once more creating a vacuum seal on their lips.  
  
"Well there goes that," Inuyasha groaned. "Keh. It's a wonder they even gave each other time to eat."  
  
"Oh relax, Inuyasha," Kirara teased as she and Shippo broke thier liplock. "You're just annoyed because Shippo's making out with a pretty girl and you're not." She winked at Shippo and looked back to Inuyasha. "You boys could always hold a little concert. Your band would be the perfect way to get laid."  
  
Kirara seemed to realize what she had just said only seconds after she blurted it out. "They have a band?" Kagome asked. It really shouldn't have been too much of a shock, but still.  
  
"Shippo!" Inuyasha barked. "When did you tell her?! I thought that-"  
  
"He didn't!" Kirara interrupted, defending her boyfriend. "I figured it out for myself. There were tell-tale signs of you know where to look. I'm sorry I spilled about it."  
  
"You guys have a band?" This time Sango was the one who asked the now rather pointless question.  
  
Miroku sighed and Inuyasha growled. "We were planning to keep it a secret," the former answered. "We've been playing since last summer. Seven songs so far, but we haven't named ourselves yet. Once we do, we were going to make our debut in this very restaurant."  
  
There was a tense silence for a moment. Kagome figured the guys didn't want their big secret to be spoiled so easily, though Shippo seemed as if he had already forgiven Kirara. That boy had so hopelessly fallen for her.  
  
After the table was cleared, Kagome asked the waitress to leave some dessert menus and they'd order in a minute. Once she was gone, Kagome decided to ask a question she knew would be treading on thin ice. "Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha looked up at her, obvviously still a little irritable. "What?"  
  
"Can... When we're done here... Can we go back to your house? I want to hear you play."  
  
***************************  
  
Author's Notes: And we'll wrap up there. Not a good cliffhanger, but it still countns as one doesn't it?  
  
To avoid any confusion, yes I got that bit with the songs from Mystery Science Theatre 3000. It is a tribute to one of the greatest shows ever.  
  
Next chapter we see the band again. Unfortunately you won't get to see their songs because I cannot write lyrics or poetry at all. Songwriting means keeping the lyrics in a specific pattern, rhythm, beat, whatever, and I'm unable to do that for more than a few lines at a time.  
  
If anybody wants to take the little snippets I show of their songs and build whole ones around them, by all means. Just know that I have nothing to offer as a prize.  
  
One more thing I forgot to mention before. Ama has offered me a copy of the Kinetics mix just for writing this story. Bitchin'! I'll e-mail you some time, just remember that I'm very slow in doing so. So, just wait for it. 


	12. I Hear Their Passionate Music

Author's Notes: And again with another chapter. My Spring Break is almost over and I really wanted to get another chpater out before it ends. My work schedule hasn't exactly been helping. Nor has my recent re-addiction to Neverwinter Nights.  
Surprisingly, not many issues to address this time... Yeah.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 12- I Hear Their Passionate Music  
  
Inuyasha nearly choked, though on what he wasn't certain since he'd already finished eating. "Why?" Real intelligent. What kind of a response is that?  
  
"I... I just want to hear you play. You were really good the other night." Kagome seemed extremely nervous now. "I just wanted to see you play." She looked like she was dreading his answer. She probably expected him to refuse.  
  
Inuyasha looked toward Miroku and Shippo, hoping to find an answer from them. They just kept their faces expressionless, though. Inuyasha sighed in resignation. There really was no good reason to refuse. "Alright. After we leave, we'll go back to my place. We left our instruments there anynway."  
  
Inuyasha tried to shift slightly to hide his face in the dim light when Kagome smiled at him. He could feel a little heat creeping into his cheeks and he knew if Shippo spotted it, he'd never hear the end of it. Inuyasha would just have to worry about figuring out where it came from later.  
  
*************************  
  
Inuyasha remained strangely quiet as Miroku drove back to the Morimoto home. He was trying desperately to sort out his feelings. His train of thought got derailed just outside the station, though, when Kagome put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Inuyasha?" she asked timidly. "I just wanted to ask a couple questions. What made you decide to start a band, anyway?"  
  
Inuyasha looked over at the girl beside him, grey eyes filled with curiosity. He had heard the eyes were a window to the soul. He was beginning to think it may be true. "Well... I've always liked music. I guess I just pick up after my mother." Not a very good answer, but it was the best he could do.  
  
Kagome didn't seem bothered by it, though. "Okay, next question. What kind of music do you guys play?"  
  
"I guess you could call us alternative," Inuyasha said with a shrug. "We're definately not punk or pop, I'll tell you that. Stupid record companies. Never really thought about it. We just write music then play it."  
  
Kagome nodded slowly. "You said you had seven songs. What are they called?"  
  
Inuyasha sighed slightly and ticked off the songs on his fingers. "So far we have So I'm A Mutt, So Much Glass, Champions, When Darkness Falls, A Method To My Madness, Rhythm Red, and Otherworld."  
  
"That reminds me," Shippo chimed in, "what's with this 'seven song' BS, huh? We have eight songs."  
  
Miroku glanced in the rearview mirror at Shippo and then turned back to the road. "You gave us the sheet music yesterday, Shippo. We only ran through it once, and you already expect us to count it?"  
  
"Yes," Shippo said defiantly.  
  
"Shippo wrote a song?" Kirara asked deligtedly. "Ooh, what's it called?" she squealed, looking proudly at her boyfriend.  
  
"Ferdinand Magellan, We Hardly Knew Ye," Inuyasha said flatly. "Crashing drums, fast-paced bassline, manic guitar work, and three lines of lyrics in a seven-and-a-half minute song. One of the most bizarre things I've ever heard in my life." Inuyasha tried to supress a gag as Kirara began gushing and Shippo's ego swelled.  
  
Everything changed in an instant though as the sounnd of squealing breaks, shrieking tires, and a dull thud filled the air. "Holy shit, I think I hit something!" Miroku shouted, his composure momentarily shaken.  
  
Everyone leaped out of the car and went to find out just what had happened. With the sun long gone, the only way the group could see anything was in the light of the headlights and street lamps. Sprawled in the grass by the road was a man in black slacks and a polo shirt no more than four feet tall with a large, hooked nose, white hair, and a mustache. Inuyasha stopped breathing as realization hit him.  
  
"Jesus, Joseph, and Mary in Tinsel Town," Shippo squeaked. "We just ran down the Monopoly guy!"  
  
"Monopoly guy nothing!" Inuyasha shouted. "That's my godfather!"  
  
************************  
  
The group sat silently in the living room. This was a real kick in the throat. It had taken a minute, but they managed to get Inuyasha's godfather back to the Morimoto home where Sesshoumaru took the old man to a guest room to see if there was anything he could do for him.  
  
"So I just ran over your godfather?" Miroku asked in disbelief for the fifth time.  
  
"Yes!" Inuyasha snapped.  
  
"How come we never met him before?" Shippo asked.  
  
"He's out of town a lot," Inuyasha explained. "When my father died, he left Myouga in charge of his company. One of the reasons Sessh and I live so comfortably."  
  
As if on cue, Sesshoumaru walked downstairs witha soft smile. "Myouga's going to be alright. Just a few bruises and a lump on the head. We'll let him sleep in the guest room tonight. I wonder what he was doing out so late, anyway?"  
  
"I guess we'll ask him in the morning," Sango said softly. "Damn, it's almost 11 o'clock!"  
  
"Why don't I just call your families and see if you can all spend the night," Sesshoumaru offered. "We have plenty of room and you've all had a rough night. Besides," he added with a smirk, "Spring Break starts tomorrow doesn't it? Strange to make you go back for only a day, but who are we to complain?"  
  
************************  
  
The group naturally accepted Sesshoumaru's offer and everything worked out without a hitch. Shippo and Kirara declined a room, and decided to share a "bed" on the couch in the home theatre.  
  
"So," Shippo said, "our options are to sleep, watch a movie, eat ourselves sick, spend some 'quality time' together, or any combination thereof."  
  
Kirara smiled and snuggled up against Shippo. "How about quality time and a movie?"  
  
"Works for me," the vulpine boy said as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Anything in particular you want to see?"  
  
"The Matrix," Kirara answered without hesitation. "Let's have some gunfights and kung-fu battles in the background while we make out."  
  
Shippo remained silent for a moment until the girl in his arms looked at him questioningly. "Marry me," he said simply, causing her to laugh and bury her face in his chest.  
  
************************  
  
Miroku and Sango sat out on the balcony outside Sango's room. It was a clear, peaceful night with a full moon hanging in the sky. Though Sango tried to deny it, the whole situation was actually pretty romantic. "So will you guys play for us tomorrow?"  
  
Miroku nodded with a soft smile. "Of course. We need some criticism, anyway. Sessh likes our work, but that's one man's opinion."  
  
"Do you guys write the songs together, or do you do them individually?"  
  
"We write most of them as a group, though we each have our own song. Inuyasha wrote our first song himself and Shippo told you he just handed us his Magellan song. I wrote Otherworld."  
  
A cool breeze came up and Sango folded her arms over her chest. It was a fine day to wear short sleeves, but the night was another matter. Much to her surprise, though, Miroku removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders. Sango tried to supress the blush creeping up into her cheeks, though that was fairly useless. "Thank you," she said timidly.  
  
Miroku just smiled gently. "It's nothing. After all, isn't it expected of me?" he asked jokingly. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked back inside. "I'm going to bed. Good night, Sango."  
  
Sango couldn't stop her lips from tilting up into a smile. "Good night... Miroku." When he left the room, she sighed happily and pulled the leather coat tighter to her body. It carried the scent of sandalwood. Was that a cologne he used? Whatever it was, Sango liked it. Why hadn't she ever seen this side to him before?  
  
************************  
  
Back in the home theatre Shippo and Kirara were laying in one another's arms, only paying marginal attention to the movie. Kirara snuggled her head deeper into Shippo's shoulder and purred softly.  
  
The red-haired boy just chuckled lightly in return. "Have I ever told you how perfect you are?"  
  
He was surprised to see Kirara's smile fade. "I'm not so perfect," she mumbled.  
  
"What's wrong?" Shippo asked in concern. "Did I say something wrong or..."  
  
Kirara just cupped his cheek in her hand and looked deep into his eyes. He felt himself drowning in her maroon pools. "You know if there's anything wrong, I'm always listening. I'll always be there to help."  
  
Kirara's eyes moistened slightly. Was she about to cry? Shippo never imagined her ever crying. He began to panic slightly, but before he had a chance to do anything, she buried her face in his chest and let out a few muffled sobs.  
  
"Kirara?" She was crying. Was it something he did? Something he said? "Come on, don't cry. Tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help." How? As if he knew, but he had to say something, didn't he?  
  
"Oh, Shippo," Kirara choked, "why do you always have to be so damn sweet? I want to tell you, I really do, but... I can't. I'm so sorry."  
  
Now Shippo knew something was definately up. Whatever was bothering Kirara, it must have been really bad to bring about such an abrupt and dramatic mood swing. The movie forgotten, he pulled Kirara close to him and softly whispered whatever comforting phrases he could in her ear.  
  
"Shippo, please," she whispered desperately, "can we just forget about this? I promise I'll tell you, but not now. Please, not now." It tore at Shippo's heart to hear her voice right now. She sounded like another person. What could have happened to cause this much damage to the woman he loved?  
  
Wait a second, loved? Did he really feel that way about her after only knowing her for under two weeks? Then again, his parents only dated for a week and a half before they got married.  
  
Yes, Shippo did love Kirara. And right at this moment, he would do anything to take her tears away. "Alright. You can tell me whenever you're ready. I'll always be here for you. I promise I will."  
  
That seemed to work since Kirara's sobbing soon gave way to the soft, steady breathing of deep sleep. Cradling the girl in his arms, Shippo slowly drifted off himself. He would not soon forget this and he intended to find out just what the problem was so that he could help solve it.  
  
************************  
  
The next morning, everyone including a now-conscious Myouga and the five family dogs were gathered around the kitchen table as Sesshoumaru served one stack of pancakes after the next. "Feeling better, Myouga?"  
  
"Much better, thank you," the old man grinned.  
  
"Sorry again," Miroku said sheepishly. "I honestly didn't see you until... well..."  
  
"It's alright, my boy," Myouga said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It's not the first time and it won't be the last. I've had much worse, besides."  
  
"That's true," Inuyasha muttered. "You've been squashed like a bug more times than I can count."  
  
The old man laughed lightly and looked over at his godchild. "I remember you thought I was a vampire after I survived that plane crash outside Milan thirteen years ago."  
  
Inuyasha reddened slightly at that and shot a dirty look at Shippo who was trying desperately to hold back his laughter. "I was five," he said defensively. "Anyway, when do you girls want to hear us play?"  
  
"How about after we finish?" Kagome suggested.  
  
"Works for me," Miroku said off-handedly.  
  
"Same here," Shippo agreed.  
  
"Alright. As soon as we're finished."  
  
************************  
  
Kagome leafed through a spiral-ring binder that the boys kept all their sheet music in. "So what are your songs about?"  
  
"Well," Inuyasha started, "So I'm a Mutt is about how people spit on those who are different. We'll play that one now."  
  
That alone gave Kagome a small pang of guilt. There was no doubt where he got the inspiration for that song from. She looked at the lyrics as Inuyasha stuck up the intro with harsh chords.  
  
Well I was born and raised a mongrel,  
But what the hell's it mean?  
Can you give me an explanation,  
Do you even know at all?  
  
You're all the same every single one,  
The pattern I can see.  
I wouldn't trade my dirty old blood,  
Whether for nothing or all.  
  
There was a gritty harshness and boldness to the song that Kagome had never heard before. He was telling people through his music just what he thought of all the people who hated him and mocked him for who he was, but how he was the one who would come out on top in the end.  
  
When the song came to an end, Kagome didn't know what to say. The trio were incredibly talented, that much was obvious. She hadn't been sure what to expect, but this was something she was unprepared for.  
  
The band then went through the rest of their songs and Kagome was able to piece together the meanings pretty easily. So Much Glass was about heartbreaks. Champions was about putting your faith in the underdog. When Darkness Falls was a creepy little number about how everything looks different in the dark. A Method To My Madness was one of the strangest songs she had ever heard. Try as she might, it was the only song she could not figure out a meaning to, the lyrics were so cryptic. Rhythm Red was a really nice instrumental, and Otherworld was truly strange. Sango said Mirouk had written that one.  
  
I have heard the poems and tales of lost Xanadu,  
And the whispered stories of the old Lost Dutchman mine.  
  
The Moai of Easter Island hold their ancient tongues,  
And the lines of Nazca escape the passing of time.  
  
What lies beyond the mundane that mortals cannot see?  
The mystic within the mundane; greatest mystery.  
  
This song was particularly long, running almost fifteen minutes. It sounded so indescribably wierd. The girls were spellbouund by the time the boys finished. "Wow. I think you guys have a hit there," Kagome beamed.  
  
"Told you so," Miroku said with a grin to his bandmates. "Now all we need is a name."  
  
"That's right, you guys said you hadn't named yourselves yet, huh?" Kirara remarked.  
  
"Sadly," Shippo replied. "We can't seem to come up with anything cool enough. Every name we come up with turns into a song or a good name for an album."  
  
"Mind if I make a suggestion?" Sango asked timidly.  
  
"At this point, we'll take anything," Inuyasha said somewhat cynically.  
  
Sango smiled sheepishly. "Don't laugh, but I always wanted to see a band called Damage Control. I don't know why, but..."  
  
Kagome looked to the boys who actually had looks of thoughtful surprise on their faces.  
  
After a moment, Miroku's face split into a big grin. "Damage Control... I like that. That's a good idea!"  
  
"Yeah!" Shippo agreed. "Ladies and gentlemen," he shouted in an announcer voice, "we give you Damage Control!" He punctuated his yelling with a loud crash of his cymbols.  
  
"What do you think Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. She could tell he was having one of those male pride issues. "It does have a nice sound to it, don't you think?" She smiled at him, hoping to try and sway him. They needed a name.  
  
"Keh," he snorted after a brief pause. "Whatever. We can't play a gig until we get a name, so we might as well take this one."  
  
"That's Inuyasha's way of saying thank you," Shippo beamed.  
  
Kagome couldn't help but smile. Even with his tough guy act, Inuyasha was a big puppy. You just had to know how to bring it out in him.  
  
************************  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, that's done. Now I actually have a plan. Check out my author's page on the site to see what the next few chapters will be.  
I'll tell you this much, though: Next chapter we get on to seeing the band at their first performance and after that we see followed by another chapter that shows how utterly sappy I can be. 


	13. It's Been A Long Time Since That rock an

Author's Notes: Spring Break has been over for a while and graduation is only two weeks away. I feel old. Oh well. Maybe then I'll actually have the time to begin my quest for self-improvement.  
I recieved an e-mail recently from one of my readers who sent me an a picture to go along with the story. A favorite image for a lot of you, I've noticed, is Inuyasha dancing in chapter 8. Well, this artist, whom I currently know only as Thessalian, sent me a pencil sketch of a shirtless Inuyasha playing air guitar. Being straight, I couldn't really fully appreciate it, but it is well-drawn and I think a lot of people would like it.  
Thessalian has told me that she will post it on her web site as soon as its working again and will also color the picture. As soon as its ready, I'll post a link to her site so everyone can see.  
One thing she also told me, is that I'm treading a fine line. Let the Music Be Your Master is on the border between being a story about music, and a musical. I am aware of that. Several future chapters will have less singing in them, though for this one and chapter 15, it will be kind of unavoidable. More on that later.  
I assure you, chapter 16 will have little, if any, singing in it, and will be almost pure conflict and angst. How's that for foreshadowing?  
On a last note, I appreciate the feedback on the little bits and pieces of original song lyrics. If it's any help, Ama, Otherworld was described before in chapter 5 if that gives you any idea how it would sound. It was purely coincidental that I ended up putting the each line in syllables of thirteen, by the way. It just sort of happened and didn't occur to me until later.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 13- It's Been a Long Time Since That Rock and Roll  
  
Inuyasha played the intro to Crazy Train, the only good part of the song besides the solo in his opinion, as the group waited for Miroku to come back. As soon as they had their name, he had raced off to call Cult Classics. They were on a first-name basis with Mr. Toutosai Mabiki, the owner. He was wierd, like them, so he was pretty cool for an old guy.  
  
"Woo! Yes!" Miroku jumped back into the room looking like a dog that had finally chased the mailman down and won. "We did it!" he shouted excitedly. "Toutosai said we can play this Friday starting at six!"  
  
"Hot damn!" Shippo joined in. "We're finally goin' public!" He began relentlessly beating his drums, ending with a rumbling crash of the cymbols.  
  
Inuyasha's excitement took a minute to surface. When it finally did, he shouted out with his friends grinning like an idiot. "Yes! We're gonna be seen at last!"  
  
Without thinking, Inuyasha threw his arms around Kagome and lifted her up, all the while laughing like a maniac. He came back down to earth, though, when he heard a feminine voice in his ear followed by a boyish one behind him.  
  
"Eep!"  
  
"Woohoo! Way to go lover boy!"  
  
Inuyasha stopped dead and set Kagome down with a mumbled apology, his face burning. He then wheeled on Shippo with a glare that could cause flammable objects to spontaneously combust. "Care to repeat that, shorty?!"  
  
Shippo signed his death sentence when he bolted out of the room shouting "I said 'get a room!'"  
  
"Die!!"  
  
**************************  
  
Miroku sighed and shook his head. "While those two are busy, I thought I'd let you know that we were planning to celebrate the day we got our first gig. You girls are welcome to join us."  
  
The girls had looks of consideration before they turned to him smiling. "That would be great," Kagome beamed.  
  
"Where would we be going?" Sango asked.  
  
One thought popped into Miroku's head in particular. "How about the beach?" It was a beautiful day out, and they hadn't been out swimming in a long time. Besides, he could see Sango in a swimsuit as an added bonus. He was male after all.  
  
Inuyasha stormed back into the room dragging Shippo by his collar. The freshman was nursing a lump on his head and gritting his teeth.  
  
Naturally, Kirara was at his side in an instant. "Oh, poor baby! He didn't hurt you too bad, did he? It's okay, though. We're going to the beach!"  
  
That brought Shippo's spirits back up. "You on my arm and the good news makes the head trauma worth it!"  
  
"You brought it on yourself," Inuyasha sneered.  
  
**************************  
  
An hour later, the six friends had packed themselves into Miroku's car, dropped everyone off at their respective houses to get changed, and were on their way to the boardwalk. "Remember the song we agreed on for our celebration guys?" Miroku asked almost mockingly.  
  
Sango raised an eyebrow in question. She adjusted the over-sized shirt she was wearing, feeling a little nervous about wearing a string bikini around Miroku. He was proving his reputation wrong little by little, but she still felt slightly uneasy.  
  
"Play your damn song," Inuyasha huffed. "It's not like we can stop you from back here."  
  
"You know you want to hear it," Miroku returned. With that he turned on the CD player.  
  
Hold your fire!  
Keep it burning bright.  
Hold the flame till the dream ignites.  
A spirit with a vision,  
Is a dream with a mission.  
  
"Rush," Kirara mumbled. "I should have known. Mission, no less."  
  
"Hey!" Miroku said annoyedly.  
  
I hear their passionate music,  
Read the words that touch my heart.  
I gaze at the feverish pictures,  
The secrets that set them apart.  
  
When I feel the powerful visions,  
Their fires made alive,  
I wish I had that instinct,  
I wish I had that drive.  
  
"This is a song about dreams," Miroku said defensively.  
  
"Who said I was complaining?" Kirara returned.  
  
"Ssh," Sango hissed. "I want to hear this."  
  
Spirits fly on dangerous missions,  
Imaginations on fire,  
Focused high on soaring ambitions,  
Consumed in a single desire!  
  
In the grip of a nameless possession,  
Slave to the drive of obsession,  
A spirit with a vision,  
Is a dream with a mission.  
  
I watch their images flicker,  
Bringing light to a lifeless screen.  
I walk through their beautiful buildings,  
And I wish I had their dreams.  
  
But dreams don't need to have motion,  
To keep their spark alive.  
Obsession has to have action.  
Pride turns on the drive.  
  
At this point Miroku began singing along. Sango couldn't help but smile. She'd already figured out the lyrics to the chorus and decided to try her hand at it.  
  
Spirits fly on dangerous missions,  
Imaginations on fire,  
Focused high on soaring ambitions,  
Consumed in a single desire!  
  
In the grip of a nameless possession,  
Slave to a driving obsession,  
A spirit with a vision,  
Is a dream with a mission.  
  
Inuyasha finally got over his temper it seemed, because he began swaying his body to the music. It was only another five seconds before everyone else in the car was doing the same.  
  
Miroku rolled down the windows and turned up the volume. Sango couldn't keep the smile off her face. This was just too damn fun.  
  
It's cold comfort,  
To the ones without it,  
To know how they struggled,  
How they suffered about it.  
  
Inuyasha and Shippo now joined Miroku in singing, creating a harmony to go with the song.  
  
If their lives were exotic and strange,  
They would likely have gladly exchanged them,  
For something a little more plain,  
Maybe something a little more sane.  
  
We each pay a fabulous price,  
For our visions of paradise!  
But a spirit with a vision,  
Is a dream with a mission.  
  
A spirit with a vision,  
Is a dream...  
  
Predictably, Inuyasha played air guitar to the closing. Sango had to wonder why she ever shunned these three. They knew how to have fun and they had no delusions about who they were. It was admirable.  
  
***********************  
  
The beach was only slightly crowded, thankfully. Otherwise it would have been a pain in the ass. Sango was a little surprised to see Naraku and Yura once more. They were on a beach blanket underneath a parasol. Naraku was sitting up in plain black swimtrunks and reading a book. Yura was stretched out beside him, apparently asleep though it was hard to tell with the little sunglasses over her eyes, and wearing a bikini that was so skimpy it made Sango feel more secure in hers.  
  
"Well, well, well!" Shippo shouted a little too happily. "The Prince of Darkness getting some sun with his princess!"  
  
Naraku looked up in slight annoyance. For some reason he was still wearing his silver spider medallion. "Is there anywhere I go that you lot won't?"  
  
Shippo put on a fake pout. "Did you hear that? The Dark Lord doesn't want to be our friend anymore. Cold, dude. Real cold."  
  
Yura languidly sat up and stretched in a very feline manner. She draped an arm over Naraku's shoulder and nuzzled her head against his shoulder. "We could always just tell them in graphic detail about all the kinky stuff we do in private. That would scare them off." Sango could never get used to that voice. Too sweet, too cute. Yura's personality was so far from what her voice would imply it was no wonder so many people were scared of her.  
  
"Out!" Inuyasha shouted and strode off. Miroku and Shippo soon followed, saying they'd bring the girls back some drinks. Naraku soon followed after giving Yura a quick peck on the lips.  
  
Sango sat down on the blanket with Yura, Kagome, and Kirara. She noted that Naraku left his book behind. It was Animal Farm, a particularly strange story she had to read last year.  
  
"So Yura," Kagome said conversationally, "we haven't gotten to talk much lately. Out of curiosity, why are you with Naraku? No offense, but he's so..."  
  
"Scary as hell?" Kirara offered.  
  
"Oh, that's part of his charm," Yura answered off-handedly. "Besides that, he's a total hottie, as I'm sure you've all noticed, and besides that he's smart, witty, thoughtful, and he's into all kinds of cool, mysterious stuff..." She paused for a moment. "And he's got an awesome package," she added with a wicked grin.  
  
"That's not something I want to think about too much," Kagome mumbled.  
  
"Anyway, I've been meaning to ask you something Sango," Yura went on as if the previous conversation had never happened.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"What's up between you and Miroku?"  
  
Sango went bright red. "Nothing," she answered quickly.  
  
"You answered that a little too fast," Yura said with another wicked grin. "Something's up."  
  
"Well," Kirara said, "the night of the party she spent the evening at Miroku's house. We're still not sure just what happened, but when she came back to school, she couldn't stop humming Time Stand Still."  
  
"Traitor," Sango growled. "He just played some songs for me." It was useless to defend, however, now that Yura was convinced something was going on between her and Miroku. Like in all those nature programs where the predator knows the prey is screwed and the prey knows it's screwed but makes futile attempts at escape anyway.  
  
************************  
  
The guys were coming back with their drinks when Miroku offered to go out ahead and deliver the girls' drinks to them. Inuyasha took another sip of his Vanilla Coke and turned to Naraku. "We have a gig this Friday."  
  
Naraku choked on his Dr. Pepper and sent forth a spray of fizz all over the sand in front of him. "What?!"  
  
Shippo calmly, yet disgustedly, wiped away a drop of spray from his face. Why is it that whenever liquid hits your face, it always lands on the eyelid? Might as well ask what color a smurf turns if you strangle him. Stupid blue little imps.  
  
"You guys have a gig?" Naraku asked in disbelief. "'Bout damn time!"  
  
"Yeah, we just got our name this morning. We're now Damage Control. Stop down at Cult Classics this Friday if you want to see us." Inuyasha was having one hell of an ego trip. At last, the band was going to go public. And the first to find out would be the individualists and the outcasts, their target audience. His self-appreciating train of thought was cut short, however, by the distant sounds of Miroku shouting defensively and desperately then screaming in pain.  
  
"Sango, please, I swear it was an accident! Really, I didn't mean it, please, I swear! Argh! No, no, no, stop it, stop it! Ah damn it, ow, ow, oh shit, that's still tender! No, stop, stop, son-of-a-, that's not supposed to bend that way!! Ow, ow, ow, OOOWWW!! Stop, please, I'm sorry, please! OOWW, I already have a contusion there!!" Another minute of indistinct screaming and howling Inuyasha, Shippo, and Naraku weren't the only ones staring.  
  
"Should we go retrieve his corpse?" Naraku asked.  
  
"Might as well," Inuyasha said.  
  
The three boys walked over to where they had heard the screaming and found Miroku a battered and crumpled heap in the sand face up. "Hey guys," he said weakly. "Could you call an ambulance? I think I'm bleeding internally."  
  
"What happened?" Inuyasha asked flatly.  
  
"Sango tripped and when I reached forward to catch her, my hand ended up somewhere it shouldn't have been... okay, her breast. I swear on whatever god you want me to that it was an accident."  
  
************************  
  
It took about an hour to convince Sango that it really was just an accident. She forgave Miroku soon afterward and even apologized. Of course, that didn't help her guilty conscience. If Miroku really wanted to cop a feel, he had countless other oportunities where he could have done it and gotten away with fewer injuries. "Miroku?" She was laying out on a beach blanket beside him, working on her tan. "You feel any better?"  
  
Miroku just smirked. "You know how the human body has 206 bones in it? Well after the past hour, I can say with some certainty that the beating you gave me only turned it into only 319 instead of 682 as I had thought before. So, I'm feeling better, yeah."  
  
At least he was taking it well. Sango turned over onto her stomach and watched the beach around her from behind her sunglasses. Inuyasha and Kagome were strolling down the shores talking, Naraku was rubbing suntan lotion on Yura's back, and Shippo and Kirara were building another sandcastle since they were unable to resist the urge to demolish the last one. 'I wonder of things will always be like this?' Sango thought dreamily. She was more at peace then she had been in a long time. 'I wonder how long something this good can last?'  
  
*************************  
  
The week passed quickly. The band practiced constantly, and the girls were always there for moral support. Naraku had offered them a song Thursday evening derived from a poem he had written for English class months ago based on The Picture of Dorian Grey. They accepted it, but there would be no way they could write the music to go with it in time for the gig.  
  
Friday at last arrived and everyone piled into Miroku's car, not wanting to risk more of Inuyasha's driving on such a big night. They arrived at Cult Classics and were immediately met outside by an old man with buggy eyes and long, gaunt limbs. "Evening, boys!" he called in a voice that sounded as weathered as he was old.  
  
"Toutosai," Inuyasha greeted as if he had known the old man for a long time, which indeed he had. Toutosai was a family friend way back in the days. He used to be an associate of Inuyasha's mother before she passed away. "Is everything ready inside?"  
  
"Is a bear Catholic? Does the Pope shit in the woods?" The old man blinked his buggy eyes in amusement at his own joke. "Just go set up and tune your instruments. Your show starts in twenty minutes."  
  
Inuyasha was the first one in with his microphone, guitar, and amp. Sure enough, the stage inside had been prepped for their arrival and the latest movie was in its last few minutes.  
  
He smirked proudly at all the people in the restaurant who looked at him, Miroku, and Shippo curiously. The display above the screen was already advertising a special premiere performance by Damage Control. This was going to kick so much ass!  
  
The band quickly got in tune and eagerly awaited the word from Toutosai. Right on time, the old man came out onto the stage, borrowing Inuyasha's microphone. "Attention, ladies and gentlemen! Tonight, Cult Classics is proud to host Damage Control, a new local band with a lot of talent and drive. You're witnesses to their first performance ever, so feel privileged. Thank you!"  
  
The old man gave Inuyasha a quick wink and walked off stage. The lights came on, and it was time to begin.  
  
Inuyasha launched into the first two chords of So I'm a Mutt. Shippo thundered away on his drums only seconds later, joined by Miroku's bassline. The audience was immediately held prisoner to the music. As the three musicians played their song through, Inuyasha knew this was what he was meant for, what he was put on this earth to do.  
  
I hear what you say about me, have I got news for you!  
I'm looking in the mirror, what I see is you!  
  
So I'm a mutt,  
What do you care?  
So I'm a mongrel,  
Who said life was fair?  
  
Who said it was fair?!  
  
The song concluded and Inuyasha's ears were met with thunderous applause. At last. This was what it was like. This was what he had strived for all these years. It was finally happening. "Thank you, everyone! That was So I'm a Mutt. Our next song is about the pain of a broken heart. Something most all of us are familiar with. We call it So Much Glass."  
  
This time the song was slower, more angsty. It was simple and easy to play, Shippo's percussion on a special set of chimes creating a distinctive sound like shattering glass.  
  
All for nothing.  
All for naught.  
Broken up like so much glass,  
All that for which I fought.  
  
So wonderful is the heart,  
So strong, brightly shimmering.  
But fragile like so much glass,  
Shattered so easily.  
  
Singing this song wasn't easy, but it wasn't because it was particularly difficult to do. It was because of what it made Inuyasha think of. Tonight, though, was different. Things had changed, and now the song was one of lamentation over the bygone past, instead of mourning one's loneliness.  
  
Naturally, the crowd loved it. Inuyasha could have sworn he saw tears in Kagome's eyes when he looked into the audience at her. They were gone quickly, however, when she smiled at him, and he felt his heart soar. "Alright! Next up: When Darkness Falls!"  
  
This spooky little number was something Inuyasha and Miroku had dreamed up after a scary movie marathon last summer. The drums were soft and rhythmic, the cymbols rolling to mimic the sound of howling wind. Miroku's bassline had a sinister sound to it, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the music. Inuyasha slowly let his fingers glide over the strings, the gentle yet unnerving sounds coming from his guitar completing the song.  
  
As the sun sinks beneath the horizon, darkness falls.  
The velvet black of night rides in on ethereal wings, enveloping all.  
Full moon rises, shadows begin to dance.  
When darkness falls, we might take a chance,  
And see the world through shrouded eyes, when darkness falls.  
  
When the song ended, the audience seemed almost reluctant to clap at first, as if doing so would shatter the atmosphere. They did, though, and gradually worked up their courage to cheer as well. "Next song: Champions!"  
  
This time, the song began with a great fanfare on the guitar. This song was a little different than the ones before it, and not just because of its faster pace. This one actually had a more uplifting message.  
  
Whoah, don't even try to, to bring me down!  
You know that I'll always fight back!  
I have my will, my way,  
And nothing can take that away!  
Live on, keep fighting, seize the day!  
  
Ooh, hero is as hero does they say.  
But heroes are not so perfect.  
Struggle, persist, survive!  
Nothing can stop me, I'm alive!  
And now, the underdogs shall rise!  
  
This could very well be the next anthem of individualists living under the oppression of conformity. Good thing that was what the audience was made up of. Inuyasha spotted Naraku in the crowd as he stood up and started cheering them on, his voice clear above all the others. Inuyasha spotted Kagome once more and something began to stir in him. What was it, this warmth? He felt so light and free. He quickly cleared his mind. He had to focus on the music.  
  
Next was A Method to My Madness. This one left the audience addicted. None of them could find the hidden meaning in the lyrics. Inuyasha smirked once more. Only he, Miroku, and Shippo knew that the song was about chaos and yet within that chaos, everything happened for a reason.  
  
Rhythm Red was equally well-recieved. Inuyasha had been inspired to right the song after he spent a week in Africa over the summer. Everytime he played it, he was always reminded of the unique atmosphere he had been surrounded by.  
  
Otherworld, the longest song they had, recieved the most applause. Much as he hated to admit it, Miroku was probably right, and if he ever remembered that bet he made with Shippo the other day, chances are he would win it. Oh well, the audience loved it, and it was one of their best works to date.  
  
At last came Shippo's song. Inuyasha learned just how fast his hands could move when he played this thing. He had nearly pulled a muscle in his arm trying to keep up with it the first time they practiced. It was also structured in a bizarre way. The first four minutes were nothing but instrumental work, followed by one line, then a drum solo for one minute, a guitar solo for one minute, another line, and the rest of the song played out as the opening had, concluding with one solo line.  
  
Portuguese? Around the world? He'll do it? Stupid fool.  
  
He made it? He died? You gotta be kidding! Don't I feel the fool?  
  
Ferdinand Magellan, we hardly knew ye!  
  
The audience was clearly confused, but they liked it all the same. Kirara was giving Shippo a standing ovation for the last song. Figures she'd like that one best. "Thank you, everyone! You're a wonderful audience! We'd like to finish tonight's performance with a few requests. We're only taking three, though, and then we have to wrap up with an encore of Otherworld."  
  
The crowd certainly seemed to like that. They all started shouting out the names of songs, some of which Inuyasha had never heard of before. One he did hear clearly after a minute. "The Analog Kid! You wanna do that one guys?" he asked his bandmates.  
  
************************  
  
Kagome was awestruck. Miroku and Shippo had their own presence that, combined with Inuyasha's made them seem like gods up on the stage. The crowd loved them. They said they would be doing The Analog Kid, a song Kagome had never heard of before. Toutosai brought up a keyboard beside Miroku and they began.  
  
A hot and windy August afternoon,  
Has the trees in constant motion.  
With a flash of silver leaves,  
As their rocking in the breeze.  
  
The boy lies in the grass with one blade stuck between his teeth.  
A vague sensation quickens in his young and restless heart,  
And the bright and nameless vision has him long to depart.  
  
You move me, you move me,  
With your buildings and your eyes,  
Autumn woods and winter skies.  
  
You move, you move me,  
Open see and city lights,  
Busy streets and dizzy heights.  
  
You call me, you call me.  
  
A fawn-eyed girl with sun-browned legs,  
Dances on the edge of his dream.  
And her voice rings in his ears,  
Like the music of the spheres.  
  
When Inuyasha sang that part of the second verse, Kagome saw Miroku give a meaningful look at Sango who blushed lightly. So Sango, a girl with big eyes and a tan, haunts his dreams, eh? This would be so much fun to tease them about later.  
  
The boy lies in the grass unmoving, staring at the sky.  
His mother starts to call him as a hawk goes soaring by.  
But the boy pulls down his baseball cap and covers up his eyes.  
  
You move me, you move me,  
With your buildings and your eyes,  
Autumn woods and winter skies.  
  
You move, you move me,  
Open see and city lights,  
Busy streets and dizzy heights.  
  
You call me, you call me.  
  
Too many hands on my time.  
Too many feelings.  
Too many things on my mind.  
  
When I leave, I don't know what I'm hoping to find,  
And when I leave, I don't know what I'm leaving behind.  
  
Inuyasha played the solo on the 12-string neck of his guitar, losing himself to the music as always. Try as she might, Kagome couldn't deny that she was definately falling for him.  
  
When I leave, I don't know what I'm hoping to find,  
And when I leave, I don't know what I'm leaving behind.  
  
Kagome joined the audience in the applause, though Sango seemed to be applauding only Miroku. Those two would make a cute couple. Perhaps she could help get them together. Or at least have fun trying.  
  
****************************  
  
"Alright!" Inuyasha shouted. "That was The Analog Kid by Rush. Next request, let's hear it!" Several people made thmselves clear by shouting out one particular song at the same time. "Bark at the Moon? Alright, but I warn you all, if you want Bark at the Moon, you'll hear it my way!"  
  
The three immediately broke into Bark at the Moon. Inuyasha had a very simple way of altering the lyrics to make the song almost allegorical to his own life. Especially now that he was ready to prove the world wrong.  
  
Screams break the silence,  
Waking from the dead of night.  
Vengeance is boiling.  
I've returned to klll the light!  
  
Then when I've found who I'm looking for,  
Listen in awe and you'll hear me,  
  
Bark at the moon!  
Ha ha ha ha!  
  
Years spent in torment,  
Buried in a nameless grave.  
Now I have risen.  
Miracles would have to save,  
  
Those that this beast is looking for,  
Listen in awe and you'll hear me,  
  
Bark at the moon!  
Hey, yeah, bark at the moon!  
  
They cursed and buried me along with shame,  
And thought m timeless sould had gone (gone),  
In empty burning Hell, unholy one.  
But I've returned to prove them wrong.  
So wrong. Woo! Yeah, baby!  
  
Howling in shadows,  
Living in a lunar spell.  
I find my heaven,  
Spewing from the mouth of Hell.  
  
Those that this beast is looking for,  
Listen in awe and you'll hear me,  
  
Bark at the moon!  
Hey, yeah, bark at the moon!  
Hey, yeah, bark at the moon!  
Whoah, whoah, whoah, whoah.  
Awoo!  
  
The audience thought it was too damn funny. They may have missed the hidden allusions Inuyasha was making, but they did the see the connection with his doglike appearance. Oh well. Can't expect everyone to get the joke.  
  
"We have time for one more request. After that, as promised, we'll have an encore of Otherworld. So let's hear it!" Inuyasha couldn't decide which one. So many selections, so many good suggestions. His eyes met Kagome's once more and the warmth returned. She was the first person to ever apologize to him, admit that she had been wrong about him. He wasn't sure just what it was about her, but it just made Inuyasha want to keep her close.  
  
With that thought, he knew what song to play as soon as he heard it shouted out in the crowd. "Our last request for tonight is May This Be Love by Jimi Hendrix."  
  
Waterfall, nothing can harm me at all,  
My worries seem so very small,  
With my waterfall.  
  
I can see my rainbow calling me,  
Through the misty breeze,  
Of my waterfall.  
  
Some people say day-dreaming's,  
For all the lazy minded fools,  
With nothing else to do.  
  
So let them laugh, laugh at me,  
So just as long as I have you,  
To see me through,  
I have nothing to lose 'long as I have you.  
  
Waterfall, don't ever change your ways.  
Fall with me for a million days,  
Oh, my waterfall.  
  
Inuyasha had his eyes closed as he drifted with the music once he was finished singing. Upon opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was Kagome. He tried to tell her through his eyes that the song was for her. She looked like she could have danced right then and there. 'That tears it,' Inuyasha thought, 'I've hopelessly fallen for this girl.'  
  
*************************  
  
Author's Notes: Well that was long wasn't it? More songs than I've ever put in a single chapter.  
For those of you who worry that this is becoming a musical, the next chapter, so far anyway, has no songs in it. Just plot. Songs will be mentioned, but no one's going to be singing.  
In case you're wondering, there is a reason I didn't put any lyrics down for A Method to My Madness. To be blunt, I couldn't think of anything cryptic enough.  
Anyway, updates are probably going to be slow this month. My teachers are trying to cram in as much work for me as possible before I graduate, and work has gotten hectic. Oh well. 


	14. Love Can Turn To a Long, Cold Burn

Author's Notes: It's been a while since I could hold my head up high. It's been a while since I FRIGGIN' GOT A CHANCE TO WRITE!!  
  
Anyway my schedule should be looking a lot better very soon. Seniors in my school get out on May 21 (yes I am feeling pretty smug) so I'll have more time from now on.  
  
Couple bits and pieces of news. First of all, 18. Not only is that my age, but it is also the number reviews the last chapter recieved in a period of 24 hours. I don't think I've ever gotten such a dramatic response before. It's certainly very flattering.  
  
To address a few general questions: Yes, I did write the band's songs myself; Yes, we will find out mroe about Kirara's past in this chapter; No, we will not find out more about Kouga this chapter; No, yes, yes, no, no, Good Lord NO, yes, yes, and maybe.  
  
On another note, Thessalian has finished touching up her sketch. You can find it on her website at http://livingreflections.web1000.com/forgreywolf.html so now everyone can see. Go to http://livingreflections.web1000.com/fayash1.html for the frames-free site.  
  
Also the angst and interference from Kouga will have to wait until chapter 17. This chapter wasn't supposed to happen, but it did.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 14- Love Can Turn to a Long, Cold Burn  
  
Kagome felt like she was going to explode. She would have shouted in joy, but her throat was too strangled with excitement. She would have danced, but she doubted she could have found the right step. Inuyasha sang that song for her! The fear of rejection was no longer an issue.  
  
She spent the whole encore performance of Otherworld staring at Inuysha and wondering. Wondering what it would be like to be held in his arms, what it would be like to fall asleep beside him and wake up to see him before anything else, what it would be like to kiss him.  
  
"Thank you, everybody, and good night!" Inuyasha shouted as he triumphantly held his guitar over his head. The band took a bow and hopped offstage amidst the thunder of applause. "What did you think?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome could tell from the way he was looking at her though, that what he was specifically asking was what she thought about the song he sang for her.  
  
"It was perfect," she said with a huge smile. She would have said more, but Toutosai chose that moment to show up.  
  
"Well boys," he said, "I am impressed. How would you like to do shows here ever Sunday, Monday, and Thursday for the rest of May?"  
  
"That's a rhetorical question, right?" Shippo asked. "Sign us up!"  
  
"And so begins our first step on the road to success," Miroku grinned. "We need to celebrate!"  
  
"Again?" Sango asked in mild disbelief. "We just went to the beach Tuesday."  
  
"Ah," Shippo chided in, "but that was to celebrate actually getting the gig. This one is a celebration of the fact that the audience thinks we kick ass."  
  
"We'll do it at my place," Inuyasha ordered more than volunteered. "Let's go!"  
  
****************************  
  
The drive back was like any trip in the car with the boys. Singing and music. This time, they were systematically going through Led Zeppelin IV. They made a stop at the supermarket to pick up extra food, letting the girls make half the decisions to be fair. Shippo was even kind enough to forfeit three of his choices to Kirara, earning him a few extra kisses when they got back to the car.  
  
Kirara was a little nervous, however, when she saw the underlying anxiety in Shippo's eyes. He was about to do something neither of them would find pleasant and was just gathering up his courage. If Kirara knew anything about people, he was going to ask her what had her so upset the other night. Not that she could blame him.  
  
This was going to be tough. He was going to ask sooner or later, and Kirara knew that if they were going to be together, she would have to tell Shippo the truth eventually. She just hoped it wouldn't push him away.  
  
****************************  
  
When the group returned to the Morimoto house, Sesshoumaru had left a note behind saying that he was going out and wouldn't be back until late. "Try as I might," Inuyasha had commented to Kagome, "I still can't get over the idea of our older siblings screwing each other."  
  
The whole celebration was movies in the home theatre, music and dancing, and a whole lot of junk food. Predictably Miroku had insisted on playing a lot of Rush.  
  
When he put in the Counterparts album and put the stereo on shuffle, the first song to come up was one Kirara really did not want to hear. Cold Fire. Why, oh why, did she have to hear that one when she knew she was going to say something tonight that might change her relationship with Shippo for the worst?  
  
Things got a little better when Inuyasha shoved Miroku aside after beating him on the head for trying to control the stereo and put in a Scorpions album. Hard rock love songs were at least a little better, though Kirara just couldn't shake Cold Fire from her mind.  
  
****************************  
  
As the excitement wound down, everyone went for their rooms while Kirara and Shippo settled into the home theatre again. Shippo steeled up his courage. He just had to know what was bothering Kirara and he had to know now. "Kirara... I..."  
  
She quickly interrupted him however. "I know. We need to talk." She seemed to dread this as much as him. Figures she'd know what he was about to do.  
  
"Tell me everything," he said softly.  
  
Immediately, tears began welling up in the girl's eyes again. "Why does it have to be so hard? You don't understand what I've been through, what this is like."  
  
"You're right, I don't" Shippo admitted. "That's why I want you to tell me." He cupped her cheek in his hand and gently turned her to look at him. "Please."  
  
"Alright," Kirara sobbed. "I'll tell you. My mother, Midoriko, was one of my father's patients back in our hometown. They fell in love shortly after she was pronounced cured and then they got married and had two sons and a daughter. My mother always wanted a daughter so she became really protective of me. Too protective. She started regressing to her old unstable state and this time, no amount of help from my father seemed to do any good.  
  
"One day, a boy was teasing me on the playground when I was five years old. My mother saw and she immediately rushed over and began slapping the little boy. The boy's mother panicked, tried to stop Midoriko, and everything snowballed from there."  
  
Kirara paused and sniffed back a sob. Shippo took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly, trying to offer whatever comfort he could.  
  
After a minute, she continued. "After that she was committed. She was too dangerous to be allowed in public in the court's eyes. I can't say I blame them. She spent two years locked away, screaming at the guards to let her see her daughter. She wasn't the woman I knew.  
  
"I was seven years old when she escaped. The police were alerted and my dad locked all the doors and windows. We all knew she'd be coming for me." Kirara couldn't hold it anymore. She burst into tears, trying to will her breathing back to normal as her eyes swelled shut with the salty pools in her eyes.  
  
*****************************  
  
The worst part of the story was coming and Kirara knew nothing would ever be the same once it was revealed. But she didn't stop now. What choice did she have? One particular lyric went running through her head. 'I'll be around if you don't let me down too far.' Shippo would be so disappointed in her to hear this. The other lyric she remembered only made things worse. 'The look in your eyes as you head for the door is a cold fire.'  
  
There was no turning back now, though. She had to finish. "She reached our home in the middle of the night. She broke in through the backdoor... The police were supposed to be there, but they weren't.  
  
"My dad tried to stop her, but she threw him down the basement stairs in their fight and he broke his arm and got a concussion. She then went for me..." This would be the hardest part of the story to tell. But she had to.  
  
"She tried to take me away, but I wouldn't stop struggling. The police pulled up and my mother grabbed a steak knife. She said that if she couldn't have me, then we'd be together in the next world where they couldn't pull us apart. I panicked. I fought as hard as I could, grabbed her hand with the knife, and squeezed my eyes shut.  
  
"Somehow... somehow..." Kirara choked out, "I had turned the knife around and plunged it into my own mother's heart. I'll never forget the look she gave me before she died. She looked so crushed, betrayed. Her own daughter had killed her!" She was now shaking strongly with her sobs. She thought she could control herself, but retelling that horrible night broke down all of her walls.  
  
'The look in your eyes as you head for the door is a cold fire.' No, she couldn't stand to look at Shippo now. The look on his face as he realized what she had done and how she had let it eat her alive from the inside out all these years. She had never been able to tell anyone this before. She could never find the words. It was as if her ability to express herself had died with her mother. And now Shippo knew the truth.  
  
She felt the couch shift as if a weight had been lifted off of it. Shippo was going to leave her! It was just a she had thought. She was so close, but because of the mistakes she had made, he was going to leave her. She would be all alone and she had only herself to blame for it.  
  
****************************  
  
Shippo sat numb for a minute as the depth of Kirara's story sank in. He couldn't blame her for being upset. But what could he do? He stood up to think, but realized his mistake when Kirara doubled up on herself and cried even harder. She thought he was going to leave!  
  
Shippo panicked and immediately dropped to his knees in front of her. He wrapped his arms around her and she tensed up. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."  
  
Kirara remained tense for another moment before shuddering and melting into his arms. She threw her arms around his neck as she continued to sob. She buried her face in his shoulder, tears soaking his shirt. All Shippo could think of doing was to continue holding the girl in his arms and whisper his promise to never leave her again and again.  
  
****************************  
  
Author's Notes: Not a lot of chapter for such a long wait. I'll get started on the next one today to compensate.  
  
I graduated! A whole summer to write and earn money to spend on CDs and Dungeons and Dragons!  
  
Next chapter will be Today Is Your Birthday, Happy Birthday To You. We get to see Koga stir up some trouble at Kagome's birthday party. It will end in a little cliffhanger that will be followed up by the sappiest thing I've ever written in my life.  
  
Quick thank you to Shadows for telling me about Cold Fire. It certainly made for a nice touch of angst.  
  
One final note. Has anyone else seen the trailers for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? Am I the only one who thinks that movie has a great potential to either rock or suck? It does have Sean Connery, so it's at least worth giving a chance. 


	15. Today Is Your Birthday, Happy Birthday T

Author's Notes: Okay, busy at work on another chapter. I hope to make up for the long wait that finals and work forced me into. Wish me luck.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 15- Today Is Your Birthday, Happy Birthday To You  
  
The next morning was a little... strange. Miroku and Sango seemed to have a hard time keeping their eyes off each other. Shippo and Kirara seemed unusually sombre. And Inuyasha looked like he had just had a vision of paradise.  
  
When Sesshoumaru came down, he had the 'just-got-laid' look that Naraku had been wearing the past week. Other than that the house was fine, and everyone seemed as oblviious to these changes as the family dogs.  
  
Breakfast was pancakes and bacon, courtesy of Sesshoumaru and conversation was kept light. "So how did your gig go?"  
  
"We rocked," Inuyasha said simply. "We have gigs going throughout May now." Male ego showing? Check. Pride over-inflated? Check. Feeling invincible from ego trip and hot girl with grey eyes checking you out last night? Check.  
  
"Finally. Keep this up and you'll get your recording contract in nothing flat." Sessh spun on his heels as he tossed three pancakes straight up into the air, doing a full 360 just as they began to fall again and catching every one of them in the skillet.  
  
"Mad skills, Sessh!" Miroku cheered.  
  
Inuyasha finished shoveling the rest of his pancakes into his mouth and used the bacon like a sponge to wipe up the rest of the syrup on the plate before stuffing those down his throat. "I gotta get ready. Your brother's coming over in a couple hours for his first lesson," Inuyasha said, looking over at Kagome.  
  
"Oh that's right!" she replied, nearly slapping her forehead. "Do you guys mind if I sit in? I'd like to see this."  
  
Inuyasha just shrugged. Inside though, this would be another chance to show off for her. He still had some questions that needed to be answered. "Why not?"  
  
************************  
  
Sota had showed up eagerly awaiting his first lesson. Kikyo had dropped him off, and she looked just as high as Sessh. Small wonder they vanished shortly after her arrival.  
  
Inuyasha took Sota and Kagome out to the garage with a pair of acoustic guitars. He pulled up three chairs and took out one of the guitars. He hadn't bothered to tune them, since that would be important for a first lesson.  
  
"Alright, kid," he said, as Sota took another chair and the second instrument, "first thing you need to learn is how to hold this thing."  
  
The lesson lasted over an hour, and Sota seemed rather pleased with himself despite constantly rubbing his swollen, red fingers. Building callusses was a pain.  
  
Before Mrs. Higurashi arrived to take her children home, Inuyasha noticed Kagome growing a little uneasy. "Something on your mind?"  
  
She looked up anxiously and seemed to be steeling herself up for something. "Actually, my birthday is the day after Easter and I was wondering... I was wondering if you'd like to come to my party?" There was a slight blush in her cheeks and she seemed to have a hard time meeting Inuyasha's gaze.  
  
For his part, Inuyasha was thrilled. He immediately began trying to think of what to get her. It would have to be good or what would she think of him? "I'll be there," he said with a grin.  
  
Kagome immediately put on a big smile and impulsively kissed him on the cheek, causing a small jolt to go through him. "Thanks Inuyasha! Party starts at five."  
  
With that, she ran off to catch up with Sota, smiling and waving to Inuyasha the whole way.  
  
As soon as Inuyasha came far enough down to earth again, his nerves set in. What could he get her? He only had two days! He needed help.  
  
************************  
  
"Okay, so let me get this straight," Shippo said. "Kagome has invited you to her birthday party."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Miroku then picked up. "And you want to give her a gift no one else can?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And you need our help to do it?" Shippo resumed.  
  
"That's about the size of it."  
  
"How much can we expect to get out of this?" Miroku asked nonchalantly.  
  
Inuyasha frowned. "You guys are being really mercenary about this."  
  
"If my theory is right," Miroku replied, "and you've fallen for her, then no price is too small, right?"  
  
Inuyasha went through an interesting spectrum of emotions at that. He shifted in a matter of seconds from surprise, to emberassment, to confusion, to annoyance. "I hate you. Name your price and I'll give you your jobs."  
  
************************  
  
Kagome rushed around the house come Monday trying to help her mother with the last minute cleaning. Everything had to be perfect! Inuyasha was going to be here, and she really wanted things to be right for him if no one else. Her birthday, yes, but she still wanted to impress like any other human being.  
  
The first of the guests arrived and the house soon became crowded with seniors and juniors from Wolfrock High.  
  
Yura and Naraku came in attached at the hip and gave Kagome their gifts, though she had to wonder just what they would give.  
  
Kagome walked into the living room and put on Led Zeppelin IV, which she had borrowed from Inuyasha for the sake of the party. Speaking of whom, where was he?  
  
As if on cue, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara walked in with big grins on their faces. "Happy birthday, Kagome!" they shouted in unison.  
  
Kagome dashed up and she, Sango, and Kirara had a group hug. "I'm so happy to see you guys! What took you so long?"  
  
"We had to wait for Inuyasha to get his car," Sango said. "He said it was for your gift, though he's being pretty mysterious about it."  
  
Inuyasha smirked in a very smug way when Kagome looked to him. She could tell he wasn't about to say anything. 'Dang. Guess I'll just have to stay in suspense.'  
  
All in all, the party was a success. The living room had been rearranged for dancing, so everyone gravitated toward there. Miroku was surprisingly graceful with that heavy coat on, and Shippo entertained people to no end with comedic breakdancing.  
  
Unfortunately, it all came crashing down with the arrival of one uninvited guest. Kagome felt a lump form in her throat when Koga came swaggering into the room. "Hey, Kagome! How ya doin', babe? Haven't seen you in a while!"  
  
"Koga? W-what are you doing here?" Of all the times to show up...  
  
"You forgot my invitation," he said simply, as if it were as obvious as the sky being blue.  
  
Now Kagome felt a little less scared, and a little more angry. "I didn't forget it, I never sent it! I didn't want you here, because I'm still pissed off at you!"  
  
"Oh, so you're playing hard to get," Koga snickered.  
  
"What?!" Kagome was shocked. He actually believed she wanted him around? Now she was back to being scared.  
  
"What the hell is he doing here?!" Inuyasha demanded as he strode out of the crowd, glowering at Koga who scowled back.  
  
"That's what I want to know," Kagome replied. She moved closer to Inuyasha unconsciously, feeling safer around him.  
  
"Kagome, please don't tell me you invited this mutant," Koga sneered, never taking his eyes from his rival.  
  
Kagome could tell that Inuyasha was about to explode, but she beat him to it. "Inuyasha is no mutant! I invited him because, unlike you, I trust him! At least he isn't psychotic! I don't want you around, I want you out of this house, and stop harassing my friends!"  
  
The crowd's attention was now on the argument and Kagome began to feel very uneasy. She calmed a little when Inuyasha placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Don't touch her, you bastard!" Koga bellowed and lunged forward, tackling Inuyasha to the ground.  
  
Kagome could only watch in shock. Inuyasha took a hard punch to the face before slipping his leg underneath Koga and kicking him off. The guitarist kipped up in time to see Koga recover and lunge for him again. Inuyasha managed a quick reaction though, and thrust out his arm, letting Koga run right into the heel of his palm.  
  
Inuyasha jumped back and took up a defensive stance as Koga slowly got back up, ready for another attack. They stared each other down for another minute, before Inuyasha said tonelessly "Maybe it would be better if we left." He said it as much to his bandmates as to Koga.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere!" the latter shouted indignantly.  
  
"Oh, yes you are!" Mrs. Higurashi declared as she stomped into the room. She was absolutely furious. "Inuyasha, I'd appreciate it if you left for a while. I don't permit violence of any kind in my house."  
  
"He started it!" the boy in question said defensively.  
  
"I know that," Mrs. Higurashi said firmly, "but nevertheless, I want you to go home, get cleaned up, and wait for things to calm down before you come back here." She then wheeled around and faced Koga who was looking very smug. "And as for you!"  
  
Koga immediately paled. Kagome knew better than anyone how scary her mother could be when she got angry. "I want you out of this house, NOW! And if you ever come back, I'll call the police on you!"  
  
After a moment, Koga relented, never once taking his eyes which were filled with malice away from Inuyasha and Mrs. Higurashi. Seconds after he left the door, the sound of his car driving off was heard.  
  
At last, Inuyasha heave a sigh. He looked to Kagome with guilt in his eyes. "Sorry. I'll be back later. I promise."  
  
As he left, Miroku and Shippo joined him. "We'll go with him," Shippo explained. "In case Koga wants to try something stupid."  
  
Kagome sank to her knees. Because of Koga, everything had been ruined. She felt like she was going to cry. Inuyasha was hurt, everyone now was afraid of her because of what Koga might do, and the said bastard had turned into a psychotic stalker. Happy fucking birthday.  
  
*************************  
  
That night, Sango and Kirara had volunteered to stay at Kagome's house. They claimed they were simply there to spend time with their friend on her birthday, though Kagome knew they were there for emotional support. Truer friends she would be hard-pressed to find. They all sat in her bedroom talking.  
  
"I want to thank you guys again for staying tonight. I appreciate it." Kagome wanted to shed a few tears, but at the moment she didn't think it would do any good. A sob or two before she went to sleep would be fine. Tears always made a good way of getting grief off your shoulders. Let them fall and getting on would be easier afterward.  
  
"Hey, think nothing of it," Kirara said off-handedly. "Besides, a night for just us girls is always refreshing. I should be thanking you since I don't get to do this too often."  
  
Sango suddenly looked out the window from her spot on a cushion on the floor. "Did you guys hear something?"  
  
Kagome glanced toward the window, but she didn't hear anything. Kirara remained quiet as well, and after another minute, everything was still silent.  
  
Sango just shrugged. "Must have been my imagination. I could have sworn I heard Miroku."  
  
"Oh did you?" Kirara asked teasingly. "Wink, wink, nudge, nudge."  
  
"Shut up," Sango said defensively wih a blush creeping into her cheeks.  
  
"Admit it, Sango," Kirara said with only a hint of exasperation and a lot of amusement, "you've got it bad for him. At least Shippo and I have no problem expressing our feelings, and in public no less."  
  
Kagome giggled a little, trying to hide it behind her hand. That proved to be a mistake, though.  
  
"And don't get me started on you, Kagome," Kirara said turning her attention to her hostess. "If you and Inuyasha don't swallow your pride and start making out in the next day or two, I swear you'll both explode."  
  
It was Kagome's turn to blush. She freely admitted that she was now hopelessly falling for Inuyasha. To herself. But other than that song he sang for her, she really had no way of knowing how he really felt. And it was just one song, and it was a request from the audience, and doubts were beginning to settle in again, and...  
  
Now there was no doubt that there was something outside. The music from an electric guitar floated up from the backyard, which Kagome's window happened to be facing. The three girls looked to one another and dashed to the window, throwing it open and looking down into the yard. None of them were prepared for what they saw.  
  
"Happy birthday, Kagome!"  
  
*************************  
  
Author's Notes: I'm feeling very sadistic right now. I'm sure you can all guess what's going on, but I'll leave you to stew while I write the next chapter, leaving everyone to guess on their own how it all turns out. 


	16. Will You Heed the Master's Call?

Author's Notes: And I get around to updating again. It's not easy since I'm facing two new addcitions: d20 Modern Urban Arcana, and Rollercoaster Tycoon 2. The former is a pen-and-paper role-playing game about magic and monsters in the modern world. The latter is a little disappointing in the main game, but the scenario editor is cool.  
  
Also, I'm very pleased with the massive response to chapter 15. I know some of you are a little irked about Koga being a psychopath, but I really wanted an antagonist no one's tried as much, and when I decided on Koga I decided to put a more modern and darker twist on his infatuation.  
  
Anyway, enough out of me. You want to see the cliffhanger resolved, so here you go.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 16- Will You Heed the Master's Call?  
  
Kagome couldn't believe her eyes. There, out in the backyard stood Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo with their instruments, fully set up. She spotted the cords leading to a surge protector which was hooked up to an extension cord, which was hooked up to... the side of her house. Oh well, it was the thought that counted, right?  
  
She was immediately taken back to reality, however, when Inuyasha began singing and her heart started to swell.  
  
Let me take you to the movies.  
  
Can I take you to the show?  
  
Let me be yours ever truly.  
  
Can I make your garden grow?  
  
From the houses of the holy,  
  
We can watch the white doves go.  
  
From the door comes Satan's daughter,  
  
And it only goes to show,  
  
You know!  
  
There's an angel on my shoulder,  
  
In my hand a sword of gold.  
  
Let me wonder in your garden,  
  
And the seeds of love I'll sow.  
  
You know!  
  
The next verse, Inuyasha half-sang solo. The third and fourth lines, Miroku and Shippo joined him to form a harmony before letting the guitarist continue solo.  
  
For her part, Kagome was feeling lighter than air. The doubts that were settling in were gone for good now. This was the gift he had been so mysterious about.  
  
So the world is spinning faster.  
  
Are you dizzy when you're stoned?  
  
Let the music be your master.  
  
Will you heed the master's call?  
  
Oh, Satan and man!  
  
Said there ain't no use in crying,  
  
'Cause it will only, only drive you mad!  
  
Does it hurt to hear them lying?  
  
Was this the only world you had?  
  
Oh-oh!  
  
Kagome wasn't sure how, but she knew what Inuyasha meant when he sang this part of the song to her. Hanging out with the individualists, she was now drifting apart from the world she once knew. But she now had real friends where appearances didn't matter and the truth was always there.  
  
So let me take you, take you to the movies!  
  
Can I take you, baby, to the show?  
  
Why don't you let me be yours ever truly?  
  
Can I make your garden grow?  
  
You know, sigh!  
  
************************  
  
The song wound to a close and Inuyasha looked up with a huge smile. "Happy birthday, Kagome! In case I haven't made it clear enough, I love you!" It took all of his courage and will to say that, but Inuyasha did it and he wouldn't take it back for anything.  
  
He was deeply relieved to see it worked when Kagome leaned out the window and shouted back "I love you, too!"  
  
"That's all I needed to hear!" With that he struck up the next song.  
  
You need coolin',  
  
Baby, I'm not foolin',  
  
I'm gonna send you,  
  
Back to schoolin'.  
  
Way down iniside,  
  
Honey you need it.  
  
I'm gonna give you my love.  
  
I'm gonna give you my love.  
  
Oh!  
  
Wanna whole lotta love.  
  
Wanna whole lotta love.  
  
Wanna whole lotta love.  
  
Wanna whole lotta love.  
  
You've been learnin',  
  
I've been learnin',  
  
All the good times, baby, baby,  
  
I've been y-yearnin'.  
  
Way, way down inside-ah,  
  
Honey you need it.  
  
I'm gonna give you my love-aah!  
  
I'm gonna give you my love-aah!  
  
Oh!  
  
Wanna whole lotta love.  
  
Wanna whole lotta love.  
  
Wanna whole lotta love.  
  
Wanna whole lotta love.  
  
Ah, ah, ah!  
  
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah,  
  
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah,  
  
Oh, no, no!  
  
Ah!  
  
Love!  
  
Lo-o-o-o-ove!  
  
You've been coolin'!  
  
Baby, I've been droolin'!  
  
All the good times, baby, I've been misusin'.  
  
Way, way down inside,  
  
I'm gonna give you my love.  
  
I'm gonna give you every inch of my love!  
  
Gonna give you my love!  
  
Hey! Alright, let's go!  
  
Wanna whole lotta love.  
  
Wanna whole lotta love.  
  
Wanna whole lotta love.  
  
Wanna whole lotta love.  
  
Way down inside...  
  
Woman...  
  
You need...  
  
Love!  
  
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!  
  
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!  
  
Whoah!  
  
Shake for me girl!  
  
I wanna be you backdoor man!  
  
Hey! Oh!  
  
Hey! Oh!  
  
Hey! Oh!  
  
Ooh!  
  
Oh, oh, oh, oh!  
  
Keep it coolin' baby!  
  
Keep it coolin' baby!  
  
Ah, keep it coolin' baby!  
  
Oh! Oh-oh!  
  
"Whoo!" Inuyasha whipped his hair back and smiled up at Kagome who was applauding and crying tears of happiness. "Kagome, I know this is supposed to be your birthday, but Miroku and Shippo have something they'd like to say to Sango and Kirara since this is the best chance they'll have."  
  
Kagome nodded her approval and Inuyasha looked to Shippo. "You're up, half-pint!"  
  
*************************  
  
Shippo cleared his throat and looked to Kirara. "I know things have been a little tight these last couple days. You told me the truth and I started acting the wrong way. I know I could have done it better, so I want to make it up to you."  
  
The drummer turned to Miroku and nodded. The bassist fiddled with the synthesizer beside him for a minute before looking back to the band. "Set."  
  
"Alright," Shippo said. "Let's go!" The music started up to No One Like You by the Scorpions. The synthesizer provided the rhythm guitar while Inuyasha took up lead. Shippo provided the vocals himself.  
  
Girl, it's been a long time that we've been apart.  
  
Much too long for a man who needs love.  
  
I miss you since I've been away!  
  
Babe, wasn't easy to leave you alone!  
  
It's getting harder each time that I go!  
  
If I had a choice I would stay!  
  
There's no one like you!  
  
I can't wait for the nights with you.  
  
I imagine the things we'll do.  
  
I just want to be loved by you!  
  
No one like you!  
  
I can't wait for the nights with you.  
  
I imagine the things we'll do.  
  
I just want to be loved by you!  
  
Girl, there are really no words strong enough,  
  
To describe all my longing for love!  
  
I don't want my feelings misplaced.  
  
Ooh, babe! I just need you like never before!  
  
Just imagine you'd come through this door.  
  
We'd take all our sorrows away!  
  
Shippo tweaked the last lyric so the song wouldn't sound so selfish. He wanted her to know how badly he wanted to be with her, but he didn't deserve her if he didn't see that she was in even more emotional turmoil than him.  
  
There's no one like you!  
  
I can't wait for the nights with you.  
  
I imagine the things we'll do.  
  
I just want to be loved by you!  
  
No one like you!  
  
I can't wait for the nights with you.  
  
I imagine the things we'll do.  
  
I just want to be loved by you!  
  
Whoo!  
  
No one like you!  
  
I can't wait for the nights with you.  
  
I imagine the things we'll do.  
  
I just want to be loved by you!  
  
No one like you!  
  
I can't wait for the nights with you.  
  
I imagine the things we'll do.  
  
I just want to be loved by you!  
  
Shippo looked up to see Kirara sobbing with a huge smile on her face and his heart melted. "I love you, Kirara, and I want you to know I'll always be there for you."  
  
Kirara blew a kiss and called back "Shippo, if you don't know already that I love you, you're deaf, blind, and dead."  
  
"We'll continue our 'conversation'" he said, making deliberately exaggerated quotation marks in the air, "in a few minutes. Let's let Miroku speak his piece first. Only fair, you know."  
  
***************************  
  
Miroku took a deep breath and looked up at Sango. "Sango, I've been trying my damndest to show you how I feel, these last few weeks in particular. Normally I'm a patient man, but I'm worried that if I don't do something uncharacteristically blunt, then I may let something wonderful slip through my fingers." All those years smooth-talking people into doing things for him were paying off.  
  
He turned to the synthesizer and set up the next program from its memory. Miroku had thought for hours on what song would be best, but in the end he decided on one of the most classic love songs of all time. He had fantasized about singing Melt With You to Sango when he was younger, so this one only seemed natural.  
  
He started up the synthesizer and his bandmates soon joined him in playing, Inuyasha and Shippo providing him with back-up vocals as he sang.  
  
Moving forward using all my breath,  
  
Making love to you was never second best.  
  
I saw the world thrashing all around your face,  
  
Never really knowing it was always mesh and lace.  
  
I'll stop the world and melt with you.  
  
You've seen the difference and,  
  
It's getting better all the time.  
  
There's nothing you and I won't do.  
  
I'll stop the world and melt with you.  
  
(You should know better)  
  
Dream of better lives the kind which never hate.  
  
(You should see why)  
  
Dropped in the state of imaginary grace.  
  
(You should know better)  
  
I made a pilgrimage to save this human race,  
  
(You should see why)  
  
Never comprehending a race that long gone by.  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
I'll stop the world and melt with you.  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
You've seen the difference and,  
  
It's getting better all the time.  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
There's nothing you and I won't do.  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
I'll stop the world and melt with you!  
  
The future's open wide!  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
I'll stop the world and melt with you.  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
I've seen some changes but,  
  
It's getting better all the time.  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
There's nothing you and I won't do.  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
I'll stop the world and melt with you!  
  
The future's open wide!  
  
Hmm hmm hmm,  
  
Hmm hmm hmm hmm,  
  
Hmm hmm hmm,  
  
Hmm hmm hmm hmm,  
  
I'll stop the world and melt with you.  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
You've seen the difference and,  
  
It's getting better all the time.  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
There's nothing you and I won't do.  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
I'll stop the world and melt with you!  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
I'll stop the world and melt with you!  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
I'll stop the world and melt with you!  
  
(Let's stop the world)  
  
I'll stop the world and melt with you!  
  
Miroku breathed a slow sigh of relief. He had finally done it! "I love you Sango. I have since the day I met you."  
  
Sango looked as if she was very tempted to jump out the window and attach herself to him. "I love you, too, Miroku!"  
  
***************************  
  
Kagome felt better than she had in a long time. Inuyasha returned her feelings and now Sango and Miroku were together. As an added bonus, Shippo and Kirara had come out and finally said what everyone knew was completely obvious.  
  
"Very nice performance, dears!" Kagome gasped at the sound of her mother's voice. She leaned out her window and looked over to the right, seeing her friends eyes follow suit to see Mrs. Higurashi and Grandpa looking out the adjacent window and smiling. "Next time, I'd appreciate it if you at least let me know when you're going to serenade anyone at this house."  
  
Kagome turned bright red and looked down at Inuyasha who was looking a little pale. "Um, mom, I can explain!"  
  
"No need to, dear," her mother said dismissively. She then looked down at the three musicians. "I was a teenager once, too. Would you boys like to come in?"  
  
Kagome decided right there as she turned an even deeper shade of red that either her mother was the coolest parent ever, or she was totally insane.  
  
***************************  
  
Author's Notes: A little short? Maybe. A little trite? Probably. But I am a sap and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to do this.  
  
Actually, this chapter started out as an amusing little mental image I had that inspired the whole story. 


	17. I Close My Eyes and Wait to Hear the Sou

Author's Notes: I probably could have gotten around to writing this earlier, but I'm lazy and have an addictive personality.  
  
I just picked up a copy of Freedom Force the PC game, and I am hooked. Some of the levels are a little frustrating, but if you don't mind making mistakes to discover the perfect strategy, it's pretty fun. It's in the Silver Age of comics, which means cheesy dialogue, bad puns, an abundance of aliteration, and broad stereotypes. Very funny, very entertaining. It's digital prozac! Dying four times before beating the first boss was so worth it to hear the dialog that followed.  
  
In other news, I'm also slow with this story because I'm working on some of my own projects. My current big one is a short story called Xavier that uses the classic concept of ultimate insight within ultimate madness.  
  
A couple more complaints to get out. I was happy to see so many review alerts in my inbox the day after chapter 16 was posted, but I'm a little pissed off to find that about 20 of them are hanging in limbo. It saysI have over three hundred, but only displays 280-290 some odd. I plan ot contact one of the site administrators soon to have this fixed.  
  
One other thing that bugged me was how the text inchapter 16 turned out. You are now familiar with my writing style and I don't double-space song lyrics. I keep them single-spaced to make them easier to read and differentiate them from the rest of the prose since I can only work in text. Hopefully I can fix this too later on so chapter 16 will be easier to read in the future.  
  
God damn technology. It's not an issue of if it will screw up, it's when.  
  
A couple people have asked me what I was thinking putting Sessh and Kikyo together, and not in a bad way, just kind of "huh?" way if that makes any sense. The answer: I did for humor. I wanted something different, something I could build a few jokes around, this is the first thing that popped into my head. I do not support the couple outside of the story, unless you can make a story that makes it work. A case-by-case basis kind of thing.  
  
Anyway, I did promise another chapter, and this one will let me resolve a few things I've been meaning to get around to.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 17- I Close My Eyes and Wait To Hear the Sound of Someone Screaming  
  
Kagome woke up more well-rested than she she'd felt in a long time. Still partially asleep, she tried to sit up only to feel something holding her down.  
  
She looked over her shoulder and smiled softly. Right behind her was Inuyasha with his face half-buried in the pillow and his arms around her waist. He had a peaceful, contented look on his face, and Kagome melted remembering last night.  
  
************************  
  
(flashback)  
  
"Are you sure?" Inuyasha asked, his face beat red.  
  
Kagome just giggled. "Of course I'm sure. I trust you. And my mother certainly seems to," she said with a wink.  
  
She glanced over the room. Shippo and Kirara were already passed out in one another's arms on the makeshift bedding Mrs. Higurashi had layed out. Sango and Miroku were laying down side-by-side on a similar pile of blankets and grinning at Kagome and Inuyasha.  
  
"Oh come on, Inuyasha," Miroku taunted. "Not afraid are you?"  
  
Inuyasha shot Miroku a dark look as Kagome batted her lashes. "Come on Inuyasha, I don't bite."  
  
Now that they had suitably challenged his pride, Kagome knew she had won. Inuyasha crawled into bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Maybe you don't, but I do," he said with a fanged grin.  
  
Kagome just cuddled up against him and let herself drift to sleep wrapped up in his warmth.  
  
(end flashback)  
  
*************************  
  
Yes, Kagome's mother was indeed the coolest parent ever. Grandpa would be overjoyed this morning. Kagome was willing to bet that the first words out of his mouth at breakfast would be "Good morning Kagome, any plans on giving me some great grandchildren any time soon?"  
  
Naturally, Sota would be thrilled to learn that his older sister and his hero were officially an item now. There would be some changes around the school, but those were already in progress. Kagome wondered absently what Yura and Naraku would think of this.  
  
Kagome, Sango, and Yura were quickly learning just what they had been missing all these years on the other side of the coin. Conformity no longer mattered, there was nothing superficial between friends, and there was a certain ubiquitous sense of security to the individualist crowd.  
  
Kagome just sighed contentedly and rested her head on Inuyasha's chest. She glanced up at his ears and felt the urge to do something she had tried to deny since she first met him. Deciding to give in and try it, she reached up and gently scratched one of Inuyasha's dog ears.  
  
The boy responded by leaning his head into her hand and letting out a long sound that was like a pur crossed with a groan. "Ooh, that feels good," he mumbled as his eyes fluttered open.  
  
Kagome gasped and pulled her hand away. She felt her face heat up and tried to edge away, but Inuyasha's arms still held her tightly.  
  
"Did I say you could stop?" he purred. He twitched his ears a few times as if to invite her.  
  
Kagome felt her blush go down as she tentatively reached out and began scratching his ear again. 'Lead me not to temptation,' she thought, 'I can find it fine on my own.'  
  
"Inuyasha?" she gently asked. There was one question that had been at the back of her mind for some time now, and she really wanted an answer.  
  
"Yeah?" Inuyasha responded in a low, husky voice, obviously only half-aware of anything other than Kagome's gentle touch.  
  
"I was kind of wondering... people who are born... different... don't they usually do medical studies or something? Did they ever... you know... try to examine you?"  
  
Inuyasha opened one eye and looked at Kagome strangely. She immediately felt sorry for asking and looked away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"  
  
"No," Inuyasha interrupted. "You have a right to know something like that. I'm your boyfriend now, aren't I? I should be honest with you."  
  
Kagome smiled slightly inside. Her boyfriend. She liked the sound of that. She looked into Inuyasha's eyes, awaiting his answer and inwardly gushing at the idea that he trusted her enough to talk about something that touchy without an argument.  
  
"When I was first born, the doctors ran a few exams at first. It was mandatory. Just a few blood samples, keeping me in the hospital a few days extra, nothing too big.  
  
"Well, when I got older I ended up becoming stronger and faster than everybody else, my senses were a lot stronger, and I put a whole new meaning to 'quick healer.' The doctors wanted to do a study on me again. I remember they told me that my condition had a specific name, which I still don't remember, and there had only been about a dozen documented cases in the past fifty years."  
  
Inuyasha let out a soft chuckle. "Of course, my mother wasn't going to stand for that. She wanted me to live my own life. The researchers got pretty insistent, and that's when Dad and Myoga called in their armada of lawyers. Having rich parents does have a few perks.  
  
"Anyway, Mom and Dad took it to court and ruled that unless given permission by a parent or guardian until I gained legal posession of myself, no doctor or researcher could lay a finger on me. After that, the only contact I had with medical people was our family doctor, Kaede, for annual check-ups.  
  
"And now you know the rest of the back story," Inuyasha finished with a smirk.  
  
Kagome giggled slightly and buried her face in his chest. She could have stayed like that all day if Kikyo didn't pick that time to come in.  
  
"It's a Kodak moment," she said amusedly from the doorway, arms folded over her chest.  
  
Kagome jumped slightly and heaved a sigh of relief. Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo were just beginning to stir and Kagome reached up and started scratching one of Inuyasha's ears again.  
  
"Aren't you all forgetting a little something?" she asked, the amusement practically dripping from her voice.  
  
The three couples looked up at eldest Higurashi daughter slightly confused before looking to one another.  
  
Kikyo just shook her head with a soft chuckle. "It's now 10:45 and school started about three hours ago."  
  
There was an interesting chorus of gasps, strangled cries of alarm, and obscenities when the now-not-so-happy couples realized what they had forgotten in their bliss.  
  
"Thankfully," Kikyo continued as the six teens before her struggled out of their covers and began scrambling to get dressed, "Mom has already called all the parents. They're all letting you skip today, provided it doesn't become a habit."  
  
Everyone stopped dead in their tracks and stared at Kikyo in disbelief. "If you're going to lie, make it believable," Shippo said with slight indignation.  
  
"I kid you not," Kikyo said levelly. "Kagome, you know Mom would let you skip just this once. Inuyasha, Sessh knows you rarely miss a day and have excellent grades anyway. Shippo, your mother and father said they absolutely adore Kirara and won't stand between the two of you as long as you don't go overboard. Kirara, Miroku, Sango, your parents are just overjoyed you finally got together with someone."  
  
Kikyo looked up thoughtfully for a second. "I guess that covers it." She turned to leave, but was interrupted by Inuyasha.  
  
"Hold on a second," he called out. "I think I know exactly where you're going. Tell Sessh I said thanks."  
  
Kikyo looked a little startled, and a faint blush rose up in her cheeks, but she only nodded and walked off.  
  
Kagome looked around at her friends. "Well we have the day to ourselves. What do you want to do?"  
  
The three boys looked to one another and grinned. "Cruising," they said in unison.  
  
***********************  
  
Miroku was driving once again. They were having a good day, and he certainly wasn't going to let Inuyasha frighten the girls with his daredevil driving. Hmm... He wondered if he could make a song about that. Speed Demon, yeah, that would be a good title.  
  
They spent over an hour just cruising along in Miroku's car. Said driver helped pass the time with one of his custom CDs so they whiled away the time by singing along to The Court of the Crimson King, The Science of Selling Yourself Short, The Zoo, Immigrant Song, Dazed and Confused, Big Crash, Marathon, Money, and all seven songs that made up 2112.  
  
"Whoo! Temples of Sirynx is still my favorite song from 2112, but the guitarwork in Overture and The Presentation is the best." Inuyasha played out air guitar for a second then draped an arm over Kagome's shoulders.  
  
"Classic ballad of the struggle of the individual," Shippo remarked somewhat profoundly.  
  
"Isn't that the truth," Inuyasha said as more of a statement than a question. "So where to now? I'm friggin' starved."  
  
"Why not go down to the mall by the boardwalk?" Kirara suggested. "I hear they're opening that new ice cream parlor today."  
  
"We are so freakin' there," Inuyasha said with a big grin.  
  
Miroku glanced in his rearview mirror and rolled his eyes when he saw Inuyasha and Kagome getting rather cuddly while Shippo was kissing Kirara's neck.  
  
"My little kitten has the best ideas," he cooed to her.  
  
Miroku couldn't help but feel a little wierded out by the tone and strangely high pitch Shippo's voice was taking there, but he said nothing as he headed for the mall.  
  
He took a quick glance at Sango to see she was staring at him. He simply smiled at her and she smiled back. "Looks like you and I are going to have to be the voices of sanity in this little group, aren't we?"  
  
Sango just leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. "So what else is new?"  
  
"Hey!" Kirara shot from the back. "Who helped hook all you guys up, huh?" She then lifted her arms up and pointed down to herself. "Yo!"  
  
The purple PT Cruiser was filled with a chorus of laughter as it rolled down the streets. Could things possibly be any better?  
  
************************  
  
Sango took a seat beside Miroku, naturally. She was still feeling kind of high from the serenade last night. The concept was a little cheesy, but it was still so sweet. They browsed through their menus as a serving lady with bleach-blonde hair walked up, eyeing them curiously.  
  
"What can I get ya?" he asked disinterestedly.  
  
Sango went first. "I'll have the peanut butter sundae."  
  
"Chocoloate parfait," Miroku said, still looking through the menu.  
  
"We'll split a root beer float," Kirara said, gesturing to Shippo.  
  
"I'll just have two scoops of black raspberry with hot fudge," Kagome said, setting her menu down.  
  
Inuyasha pointed to a spot on his menu. "What the hell is The Leviathan and why the hell does it cost almost thirty dollars? There's no description in here."  
  
The serving lady sighed exasperatedly and pointed with her pen to a picture on the far wall. In a giant, clear plastic bowl was about eight scoops of different flavors of ice cream topped with what looked like the whole can of whipped cream, four different kinds of sauces, and just about every topping in the shop.  
  
"I'm there, dude," Inuyasha said with an excited smile on his face.  
  
Sango looked at him in disbelief as the serving lady just shook her head, jotted the order down, and walked away. "You're going to be sick as a dog! Er... no pun intended."  
  
"Right, now tell me about the part where I give a shit."  
  
Sango saw Kagome torn between worrying and letting Inuyasha make the stupid mistake and learn his lesson. Different context, same people.  
  
Forty-five minutes later had everyone sighing contentedly except for Inuyasha who was just now returning from the bathroom where he had retreated to loosen his belt a few notches. "That's the problem with jeans," he muttered, "no stretch."  
  
Kagome just laughed as he flopped down in his seat beside her and rested her head on his shoulder. "I think you look pretty sexy in tight jeans, myself."  
  
"That makes the stomachache worth it," he responded, draping an arm over her shoulders.  
  
Sango just shook her head with a smile and took Miroku's hand. She wondered absently what her parents would think of her new boyfriend? She had been going on for years about how much of a dick Miroku was before, so how would they treat this little 180?  
  
*************************  
  
People often wondered about Koga. He seemed bizarrely confident and his family had no shortage of cash to throw around. He seemed convinced that he could get anything he wanted, and absolutely refsued to take no for an answer from anyone.  
  
The reason was that the Kobes had been brought into organized crime two generations ago. Koga's grandmother on his mother's side had married into a wealthy family who ran several smuggling and illegal gambling rings. Vice was so much easier to run than other crimes. It provided a steady stream of income and lackeys could simply be sworn to secrecy or told nothing important.  
  
Koga stood to inherit a respectable portion of the family business when the time came. For the time being, he was content to sit back and let his parents do the work while he reaped the fruits of their labor.  
  
Koga had spent the last two years looking for and recruiting people who could possibly be useful to him in the future. Friends were simply there to do things for you. He did them a favor, and they owed him one. Likewise, if they did something for him, he would return the favor and help them out, though his offer was good one time only. If they wanted anything else from him, they needed to earn it.  
  
At the moment, Koga was planning his systematic destruction of his rival, Inuyasha. That mutant needed to go down. Koga knew just what he had to do.  
  
First, he would need to temporarily put the mongrel out of commission. Koga didn't want him dead. You can't suffer if you're dead. A simple act of violence to keep Inuyasha down for a little while would do the trick.  
  
Next, he would go to Kagome. She would see the light soon enough. Unlike the mutant, he wan't afraid to go to any lengths to claim her. He would take down anyone who got in is way, while Inuyasha just table danced.  
  
Third, Koga would then confont the others that those freaks had lead astray. He really didn't care much for Sango or Yura, but Kagome certainly seemed to like them so he would bring them around to keep her happy.  
  
Finally, all he had to do was pull a few strings to make sure none of this reached the wrong people. As noble as his intentions were, he knew full well how many people would never approve and would try to stop him. The police for one. No matter. Human beings were all greedy and cowardly. You could exploit them if you knew which angle to play.  
  
Koga layed back on his bed in the basement of the Kobe home. He hadn't seen Kagome at school today, which greatly annoyed him. No matter. He could wait.  
  
Koga watched the sun streaming through the glass block window over his bed and let his plans for the future turn over in his head. It was all going to be perfect.  
  
*************************  
  
Author's Notes: Next chapter the shit really hits the fan. We see the beginning of Koga's plan and a ton of angst.  
  
And since I forgot to say earlier, in response to a couple people asking about the songs from last chapter, yes they are real. Inuyasha played Houses of the Holy, and then Whole Lotta Love, both classics by Led Zeppelin. I can't believe I forgot that.  
  
Anyway, I'll update in maybe a week. Don't want to make promises I can't keep, so just use that as a shaky deadline.  
  
It also now seems, because I'm previewing this document as I'm typing this part, that the site now double-spaces everything whether I want it to or not. I'll have to figure out a way to get around that. 


	18. The Devil Comes To Let It Bleed

Author's Notes: God I've been having a hell of a time writing this. It's been a major pain in my ass. I know where I want to take this, but getting there is the problem.  
  
Doesn't help that I have a lot on my plate at the moment. I just got back from a wedding out of town, I'm now in charge of running an Urban Arcana game session which I have to be ready for a game session at least once a week, and I just picked up SimCity 4.  
  
Overall, between all that nd work, I haven't has as much time to write as I would like.  
  
Oh well. I am getting this written and that's what's important. This one chapter has undergone more revisions than any other and this is just before I ever put it down in text. Isn't that a kick in the throat?  
  
Chances are, the sight is still doing the obnoxious thing with double-spacing everything even when I tell it not to, so I'm going to have to take a new approach to putting down the songs so they're easier to read.  
  
Let's see if it works.  
  
On one last note, I would like to say for the final time that it's not an issue of spelling Koga's name right or not. It's just what I'm used. In Japanese, he does have a 'u' in his name. The first time I saw his name, it was spelled phonetically, hence the lack of 'u' and it just kind of got stuck that way for me.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 18- The Devil Comes to Let It Bleed  
  
Days went by. Days turned into weeks, and graduation came and went. Everyone was pleased to be accepted into the college of their choice, and Damage Control was beginning to make noise all around town.  
  
It was mid-June when the boys were practicing in Inuyasha's garage when Sesshoumaru walked in with a white envelope in his hand. "This came in the mail for you," he said, handing the letter to his younger brother.  
  
Inuyasha took the envelope and looked at it curiously for a moment before glancing to his bandmates as if looking for an answer. Getting none, he tore the envelope open and read through the contents.  
  
His eyes grew wider with each passing second, until everyone in the room was staring at him strangely. "Son of a bitch," he said with a grin. "Hey guys, do you remember Casey Valentine?"  
  
"Wasn't he in your graduation class?" Shippo asked.  
  
"Yes, he was. Bit of a class clown," Miroku answered thoughtfully.  
  
"Yeah, well you remember how he said he was going into public relations, right?" Inuyasha continued. "He sent us this asking if we want to perform for a peace rally on the Fourth of July. A bunch of people are gathering at Franklin Park to protest. They wanted us to provide their music."  
  
"Well I certainly will be there, either way," Miroku said seriously. "My father is still overseas and to be honest my mother and I are a little worried."  
  
"If it's that important to you Miroku, you can count on me being there too." Shippo folded his arms as if daring someone to challenge his decision.  
  
"I guess it's settled then," Inuyasha said. "Thanks, Sessh. Could you get me the phone book? I want to give Casey the news."  
  
************************  
  
Koga walked along the streets at the boardwalk. Actually, it was more like swaggering as he usually did. Sunglasses covering his eyes, cigarette hanging from his lip, and hands shoved in his pockets, he strutted around as if he owned the place. In a way, he did.  
  
But he wasn't here to admire his territory. He hated places like this. Too many people, and not enough paying attention to him. None of these fools had any idea what the real situation was, and that bothered him in a way he couldn't quite figure out.  
  
No, it wasn't the scenery at all. Koga was here on business. He turned the corner and saw just the men he was looking for sitting out on the patio of TGI Friday's. Hiten and Manten. They were perfect pawns. Stupid, violent, mentally unstable, vain, power-hungry. Koga had suckered them into doing his dirty work in the past and the fools always went through the risks for a fistful of cash and the chance to start trouble.  
  
Koga strolled over onto the patio and the table shaded under a parasol where his thugs were browsing through the menu. "Order whatever you want, guys. I'll pay."  
  
"Damn right you will," Hiten said from behind his menu. "What the hell do you want this time?"  
  
Koga narrowed one eye. It wasn't like Hiten to be so surly about new work. He'd have to adjust that attitude later. "On the Fourth there's going to be a bunch of hippies protesting at Franklin Park. Guess who's going to be there?"  
  
"The Pope?" Hiten shot sarcastically.  
  
"Very funny," Koga responded flatly. "Inuyasha and his band of losers. They're going to be singing and playing for all those pusses out there to make it look like they actually have an argument."  
  
That got their attention. Hiten and Manten looked up from their menus and stared Koga in the face. Thick as they were, they obviously knew where this was going.  
  
"I want you two to take care of them. Don't kill them, but give them all something to think about. Inuyasha in particular. You know as well as I do how fast that mutant can heal. Rough him up enough that we won't be seeing him for a few days."  
  
"And what do we get out of it?" Manten asked.  
  
"Five hundred dollars to each of you for each one of the musical fucks you take down. An extra hundred if you can do it without leaving evidence behind."  
  
The two brothers looked at each other a moment, obviously a little wary. Koga didn't like this. It meant they were thinking. Thugs weren't meant to think. "How about a fifty dollar down payment?"  
  
Another pause, this one shorter, before Hiten nodded. "Deal."  
  
Koga scowled as he dug out his wallet. These two were getting to be more of a hassle than they were worth. Once he had Kagome back, he would have to make sure to put these two in their place. Specifically, underneath his heel.  
  
*************************  
  
Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo had been practicing a new line-up of three songs for the rally. Too many songs these days about peace were just pretentious pop singles that lacked a subtle touch and were really just meant to draw attention to the so-called artist.  
  
The Fourth of July came around, and Damage Control set up on a make-shift stage, ready to play. Inuyasha saw Kagome out in the audience with Sango, Kirara, Yura, and Naraku and smiled. Even Sesshoumaru and Kikyo were in the crowd holding hands. Casey took the stage, a wiry young man with blonde hair and two piercings in each ear. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he sohuted, borrowing Inuyasha's microphone. "Happy Independence Day! We're here to try and convince everyone out there fighting to give peace a chance. Lofty, I know, and a lot of people in the places we're trying to reach here at home are going to ignore us, but we can't just sit around!  
  
"We have three special guests today! Damage Control, a new local band that I'm sure you've all heard of lately, has accepted the offer to come here and play us a few songs!" The crowd broke into applause and cheering until Casey raised his hand for silence.  
  
"I'd like to introduce lead singer and guitarist, Inuyasha Morimoto! Bassist and back-up vocalist, Miroku Watanabe! And, of course, drummer and back-up vocalist, Shippo Matsumoto! The stage is yours guys!"  
  
Casey flamboyantly jumped away, and Inuyasha and the group immediately struck up War Pigs by Black Sabbath.  
  
~*~  
  
Generals gathered in their masses,  
  
Just like witches at black masses.  
  
Evil minds that plot destruction.  
  
Sorcerer of death's construction.  
  
In the fields are bodies burning,  
  
As the war machine keeps turning.  
  
Death and hatred to mankind,  
  
Poisoning their brainwashed minds.  
  
Oh Lord now!  
  
~*~  
  
This was the least subtle of their songs for today. Inuyasha had always sided with Black Sabbath on this one. The reality of war was so perfectly captured in the verses of this song, though he felt the last lines were simply added for shock value.  
  
The audience certainly seemed to agree. They were already getting into it.  
  
~*~  
  
Politicians hide themselves away.  
  
They only started the war!  
  
Why should they go out to fight?  
  
They leave it all to the poor.  
  
Yeah!  
  
Time will tell on their powered minds.  
  
Making war just for fun!  
  
Treating people just like pawns in chess.  
  
Wait till there judgement day comes.  
  
Yeah!  
  
~*~  
  
Truer words have seldom been spoken. Inuyasha felt his anger rise slightly as he got into the music. He could only imagine how Miroku feflt, with his father stuck in a foreign country with people that were getting pissed off at the troops not leaving.  
  
That was one of the reasons for this rally. They wanted to make sure people understood what war meant. The politicians, regardles of nationality or intention, would send out their followers to butcher one another while they themselves sat behind comfortable desks getting fat.  
  
These thoughts kept brooding and tumbling through the young man's mind as they continued with the song through the solo, and eventually returning to the next verse.  
  
~*~  
  
Now in darkness, world stops turning,  
  
Ashes where the bodies burning.  
  
No more war pigs of the power!  
  
Hand of God has struck the hour.  
  
Day of Judgement God is calling.  
  
On their knees the war pigs crawling,  
  
Begging mercies for their sins.  
  
Satan laughing spreads his wings.  
  
Oh Lord now!  
  
~*~  
  
The last few minutes of the song rang throughout the song with a grim air. The audience applauded enthusiastically at the end and Inuyasha took up the microphone again.  
  
"Thank you! Thank you, everyone. That was War Pigs by Black Sabbath. I don't think we could be less subtle if we tried.  
  
"Our next song is a little bit different. Freedom of speech is what gives us the right to come out here and call out for peace. We disagree with decisions the government is making, and we have a right to say so. But I've seen some people lately who disagree with us. That's fine, they have a right to their opinion. But some of those individuals are telling us to stop. They're so convinced we're wrong that they have been trying to stop protesting and rallies for peace. That's something akin to fascism, telling us what we can and cannot do, say, or think."  
  
Inuyasha positioned his hands at his guitar and looked to Miroku and Shippo with a nod. He turned back to the audince as his two bandmates got ready as well. "To those individuals who think they can tell us we're not allowed to be here, we're going to play We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister. Let's go!"  
  
The drumline started up, and Inuyasha couldn't help but smile as he began singing.  
  
~*~  
  
We're not gonna take it.  
  
No, we ain't gonna take it!  
  
We're not gonna take it anymore!  
  
~*~  
  
Miroku and Inuyasha launched their parts into the song and immediately had the audience in thrall.  
  
~*~  
  
We've got the right to choose it.  
  
There ain't no way we'll lose it.  
  
This is our life,  
  
This is our song!  
  
We'll fight the powers that be, just,  
  
Don't pick our destiny, 'cause,  
  
You don't know us,  
  
You don't belong!  
  
~*~  
  
The song might not have been perfect for this rally, but the boys really needed to get this thought off their shoulders.  
  
This time, Miroku and Shippo leant their voices to the chorus as well.  
  
~*~  
  
We're not gonna take it.  
  
No, we ain't gonna take it!  
  
We're not gonna take it anymore!  
  
~*~  
  
This rally was a display of individualism, in a way. They showed they disagreed with higher powers and were going to make ure everyone knew what they though and why they thought it. They wouldn't give up until people had seen their argument and agreed.  
  
~*~  
  
Oh, you're so condescending,  
  
Your gall is never ending.  
  
We don't want nothing,  
  
Not a thing from you!  
  
You're life is trite and jaded,  
  
Boring and confiscated!  
  
If that's your best,  
  
Your best won't do!  
  
~*~  
  
Whoa-oa-oa.  
  
Whoa-oa-oa.  
  
We're right!  
  
(Yeah!)  
  
We're free!  
  
(Yeah!)  
  
We'll fight!  
  
(Yeah!)  
  
You'll see!  
  
(Yeah!)  
  
Whoa-whoa!  
  
We're not gonna take it.  
  
No, we ain't gonna take it!  
  
We're not gonna take it anymore!  
  
We're not gonna take it.  
  
No, we ain't gonna take it!  
  
We're not gonna take it anymore!  
  
No way!  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha launched into the guitar solo with a passion. Up on stage, he felt invincible. The audience was loving it as well. He looked down at Kagome who was waving her hands in the air enthusiastically with everyone else and he gave her a wink, causing a huge smile.  
  
When the solo finished, the audience actually lent their voices to the back-up vocals with Miroku and Shippo.  
  
~*~  
  
Whoa-oa-oa.  
  
Whoa-oa-oa.  
  
We're right!  
  
(Yeah!)  
  
We're free!  
  
(Yeah!)  
  
We'll fight!  
  
(Yeah!)  
  
You'll see!  
  
(Yeah!)  
  
We're not gonna take it.  
  
No, we ain't gonna take it!  
  
We're not gonna take it anymore!  
  
~*~  
  
As the song came to the last repetitions of the chorus, Miroku took over the back-up vocals, shouting into his microphone enough to almost challenge Inuyasha's voice for dominance.  
  
~*~  
  
We're not gonna take it.  
  
(No!)  
  
No, we ain't gonna take it!  
  
We're not gonna take it anymore!  
  
(Just you try and make us!)  
  
We're not gonna take it.  
  
(Come on!)  
  
No, we ain't gonna take it!  
  
(You're all worthless and weak!)  
  
We're not gonna take it anymore!  
  
(Now drop and give me twenty!)  
  
We're not gonna take it.  
  
(Oh clinch pin!)  
  
No, we ain't gonna take it!  
  
(Oh, you and your uniform!)  
  
We're not gonna take it anymore!  
  
~*~  
  
The three musicians took a bow to thunderous applause. "Thank you, everybody! Now, I know that song was a little off the topic of why we're here. We're supposed to be crying out for peace, and this might be a bit of a tangent."  
  
Inuyasha raked his hand back through his hair and gestured to Miroku and Shippo. "The three of us have been thinking about a good song for the occassion. We realized that the choice was pretty obvious."  
  
Miroku spoke up this time from his own microphone. "In 1990, the Scorpions were one of the first western bands invited to play in Russia, which at the time was still the Soviet Union. Growing up, they were always being told about communists being the bad guys, but their experience couldn't have been more contrary. The lead singer, Klaus Meine, wrote the song Wind of Change as a cry for peace when he saw just how much all human beings have in common."  
  
At last, Shippo spoke into the microphone on his headset. "Months after he finished writing Wind of Change, the Berlin Wall was torn down. In the next several years, there would be a lot of political changes and strife in Russia nad eastern Europe. Wind of Change was almost like an anthem to these chaotic times. It remains one of the greatest socio-political ballads in rock and roll to date."  
  
At last, Inuyasha took the microphone again as he prepared his guitar. "With that in mind, I don't think there's a more appropriate song for these troubled times. We give you Wind of Change by the Scorpions."  
  
The music started and Inuyasha whistled the famous opening. This was much different than the other songs they had played today. It was a gentle ballad, a soft yet bold call to drop arms and come together as the human race.  
  
~*~  
  
I follow the Moskva,  
  
Down to Gorky Park,  
  
Listening to the wind of change.  
  
An August summer night.  
  
Soldiers passing by,  
  
Listening to the wind of change.  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha and Miroku whistled the tune softly as the music wove its spell over the park.  
  
~*~  
  
The world is closing in,  
  
And did you ever think,  
  
The we could be so close like brothers?  
  
The future's in the air,  
  
I can feel it everywhere,  
  
Blowing in the wind of change.  
  
~*~  
  
Take me to the magic of the moment,  
  
On a glory night,  
  
Where the children of tomorrow dream away,  
  
In the wind of change  
  
~*~  
  
Walking down the street,  
  
Distant memories,  
  
Are buried in the past forever.  
  
I follow the Moskva,  
  
Down to Gorky Park,  
  
Listening to the wind of change.  
  
~*~  
  
It was indeed a powerful song. The audience was captivated as Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo cast the music throughout the air, their presence utterly captivating.  
  
~*~  
  
Take me to the magic of the moment,  
  
On a glory night,  
  
Where the children of tomorrow share their dreams,  
  
With you and me.  
  
Take me to the magic of the moment,  
  
On a glory night,  
  
Where the children of tomorrow dream away,  
  
In the wind of change.  
  
~*~  
  
Now came the part that the band had agonized over. They wanted to deliver the bridge and solo perfectly since that was what brought the song the energy leading to the climactic chorus at the end.  
  
Inuyasha looked out intensely over the audience while Miroku and Shippo backed up his voice at important moments to give the song as much power as possible.  
  
~*~  
  
The wind of change,  
  
Blows straight into the face of time,  
  
Like a stormwind that will ring the freedom bell,  
  
For peace of mind!  
  
Let your balalaika sing,  
  
What my guitar wants to say! (Sing!)  
  
~*~  
  
Take me to the magic of the moment, (Take me!)  
  
On a glory night, (Glory night!)  
  
Where the children of tomorrow share their dreams, (Share their dreams)  
  
With you and me. (With you and me!)  
  
Take me to the magic of the moment, (Take me!)  
  
On a glory night, (Glory night!)  
  
Where the children of tomorrow dream a way, (Dream away)  
  
In the wind of change.  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha softly whistled through the closing until the music stopped. The silence lasted only a moment before the audience broke out into applause and cheering.  
  
*************************  
  
Hiten and Manten grinned to themselves. Those freaks were going to really get it. They used their parents' SUV to get out to the park, removing the license plates so no one would know. They were common with all the yuppies in town with Napolean complexes, so the brothers doubted anyone would ever find them. Just change the paint job tomorrow and it would be totally safe.  
  
Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo walked off the stage and Hiten seized his chance. He shifted the car out of neutral and charged toward the three of them.  
  
It seemed Inuyasha's sensitive hearing caught on quicker than they thought, because he abruptly wheeled around to face the incoming SUV. He might have recognized Hiten and Manten at that instant, as well, had the two of them not thought ahead and dressed in black turtlenecks and ski masks.  
  
Hiten laughed inwrdly as he watched Inuyasha shove his friends aside and try to dive out of the way.  
  
'Too slow,' Hiten tohught mockingly. Inuyasha was just a second too late, and he only cleared the SUV's path up to his rib cage. A loud bump went throughout the car as it impacted with the guitarist's body and sent him crashing back against the stage.  
  
By now the crowd was beginning to panic, and Hiten figured it best to get out now. He drove off, laughing and whooping with Manten the whole way. Mission accomplished!  
  
**************************  
  
Koga watched all this transpire from the edge of the park, trying to remain unseen from behind a tree. He took a long drag off his cigarette and growled. He didn't think those two would be that stupid.  
  
Oh well. If they got busted, he just wouldn't bother bailing them out again. They had lived out their usefulness and the mistakes were theirs to clean up from now on.  
  
At least their stupid plan had worked. He watched with a smirk as Sesshoumaru carried his younger brother's unconscious form in his arms to the Viper and drove off in the direction of the hospital. No doubt the whole gang would be there, so Koga best get there as well and wait for Kagome.  
  
Only a few more moves and it would be checkmate for Inuyasha.  
  
***************************  
  
Author's Notes: Another long wait, I know, and I'm not really too satisfied with the ending to this chapter, but everything I thought of was much worse.  
  
Oh well. Anyway, it is written and that's what's important now.  
  
On a side note, I just signed up for eBay and its taking all of my self-control not to go on a bidding spree. You would not believe how pissed off I got when some jack-ass won a T-shirt I really wanted. I felt better though when I sniped a different one right out from under his nose.  
  
Wish me luck getting a book I want. Auction ends tonight. 


	19. If I Go There Will Be Trouble and if I S

Author's Notes: Okay, since I know where I want the story to go from here, I'm getting a good start on it. My work schedule still sucks so I have no idea how quickly I can get this finished.  
  
I'd like to apologize to anyone out there who was irked by me bringing my personal politics into this story. I do not like war, I despise the concept, but I understand it as an inevitability of human nature. I still wish the troops overseas my best, because they possess a courage and conviction that I do not, and I wish them all safety until this ugly business is cleared up.  
  
Moving on, some bastard sniped me on eBay, but I was able to get the same item for less on Half.com the next day. So either way, I win. Nyah!  
  
On a lighter note, I'm getting some interesting ideas how to put mroe good music into this. My original plans for chapter 18 were going to show Jethro Tull as another of Miroku's favorite bands. You have to give those guys credit, they had the balls to form a rock band with a flutist and they succeeded.  
  
Still, I want to use fewer songs in the next chapter or two. Focus more on the conflict. That said...  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 19- If I Go There Will Be Trouble, and if I Stay it Will Be Double  
  
Kagome kept a vigil on Inuyasha. His hips were badly bruised, his collarbone had a hairline fracture, and his right shoulder had been dislocated. He was stil unconscious, an ugly, swollen bruise half-sticking out from his hair and onto his forehead.  
  
The doctors said he would be back to normal in a few days. He had seen worse and recovered faster than any human they had ever seen. But that didn't mean Kagome wasn't worried.  
  
Sesshoumaru seemed to have more confidence in Inuyasha's ability to heal, however. Probably because he had known him his whole life, and because he was a med student. Sessh had told everyone to go home and get som rest, though Kagome was determined not to leave until Inuyasha regained consciousness.  
  
She waited for what seemed like an eternity, her fingers gently brushing his face as if she were trying to memorize every detail of it. Love could be a wonderful thing, and it was a good thing it was strong enough to make grief like this worth it.  
  
Inuyasha slowly stirred and Kagome felt the corners of her mouth tilt up into a smile. "Inuyasha?"  
  
His eyes fluttered open and focused on Kagome. He smiled weakly, obviously still trying to shake the haze of sleep from his mind. "Hey, beautiful," he mumbled.  
  
Kagome affectionately pushed the hair from his eyes and rubbed at his ears. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Was I really plowed over by an SUV? 'Cause it sure feels like it."  
  
She smiled slightly and kissed his cheek. "You're pretty banged up, but the doctors said you should be fine in a couple days. I'll be there for you ever day to help you get better."  
  
Kagome added the last line as a joke, but it seemed to make Inuyasha suddenly uncomfortable.  
  
"You really don't have to. I'll be fine on my own," he mumbled. Did he just bite his tongue?  
  
Kagome felt slightly annoyed. Even if she wasn't serious, she still wanted to help him. "What's with you? I thought you wouldn't mind."  
  
Inuyasha started scrambling for an answer. "I don't! I just... just..."  
  
"Just what?" Kagome asked, getting a little more irritated. "Afraid of being treated like a baby, tough guy?" That might have been a mistake.  
  
"Yes!" Inuyasha snapped back. "I mean, no! I mean... Shit! You got me confused!"  
  
"I got you confused? Well excuse me! I was just worried about you!"  
  
"Well don't be! I don't need it, 'cause I've had worse and I'm still breathing!"  
  
Now Kagome was just plain pissed. She knew in a few seconds they both would say things they would regret, but she couldn't stop herself. "Oh, so you don't need anybody's help, do you? You're only interested in me taking care of you if I offer to 'play doctor.'"  
  
"I never said that!" Inuyasha shot back defensively.  
  
"Sure you did!"  
  
"No I didn't!"  
  
"Yes you did, now stop being such a child!"  
  
"I'm not being a child! You are!"  
  
"Me?! Why you insufferable mutt!" Now that was a mistake if she ever heard one.  
  
"Mutt am I?!" Inuyasha exploded. "You're the last person I thought I'd hear that from! God you must have gotten this side from your father! Your mother actually seems pretty stable. Thank god I never had to meet the other half that spawned you!"  
  
Kagome may have regretted insulting Inuyasha, but he just took it a step too far. She gave him a full-armed slap across the face and stormed out of the room, wanting to be alone for a minute to cool off.  
  
She was already beginning to regret the fight as the elevator took her down to the ground floor. Hopefully Inuyasha would swallow his pride and apologize so she could too. She wasn't about to say she was sorry first after he had gotten the last word like that.  
  
She left the hospital as if in a trance. So this is what it was like to have your first fight with someone you love. She hoped the storybooks were true about the apologies being tender enough to make up for it and set everything back the way it was.  
  
"Evening."  
  
Kagome was pulled out of her thoughts by a voice beside her as she stepped outside. Turning to her right, it was Koga. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I came to see you, naturally," he said coolly, slipping off his shades. "It's a shame what happened to dog boy. Run down by an SUV, that's gotta smart."  
  
Kagome felt a little nervous. What was he getting at? What did he want? Wait a second... "How did you know about all that?"  
  
"Simple," Koga replied. "I arranged it." He delivered that declaration with a level tone of seriousness and mirth mixed with, much to Kagom's horror, pride.  
  
She felt her blood run cold. She could tell by Koga's tone that he was telling the truth. Inuyasha was hurt because of him. Fear and rage warred for dominance inside of her, and she found herself taking a step back.  
  
"You'll thank me for it someday," Koga continued as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He advanced toward Kagome who began backing up until Koga shot an arm out and grabbed hers. He quickly dragged her around the corner of the building and let her go again before she could cry out.  
  
"Now listen up, Kagome," he said, his voice suddenly becoming cold and dangerous, "this is for your own good. You're going to call that freak and tell him it's over between you two. You're mine from now on."  
  
Kagome shivered as if her blood had been turned to ice. Her heart was pounding with fear. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, unable to think of anything else.  
  
Koga simply scowled. "Because I'm the only one in this damn world close enough to being good enough for you. I'll make you mine one way or another."  
  
Kagome backed up again, panic starting to set in. "I'll... I'll call the police."  
  
Koga threw his head back and laughed. "The police? Slide them a few hundreds and they won't do a thing. My family's been doing it for years. Haven't you figured it out by now? We beat the system a long time ago. I can do whatever I want."  
  
Now Kagome knew what true fear was. She was helpless. If Koga was telling the truth, she was beginning to think that he might have had mob connections or something. "W-what'll you do if I refuse?"  
  
Koga frowned icily. He held up his hand and all five fingers. "If you refuse me now, your little brother may have an accident." He lowered his small finger. "Refuse a second time, and Sango's good health may come to an end." He then lowered his ring finger. "Three times and we move on to Inuyasha's friends." Koga lowered his middle finger. "Four and your mother joins them." He lowered his index finger. "And if you refuse a fifth time, then I have no choice but ot tkae down Inuyasha himself, and you with him if you still aren't convinced." he folded his thumb over into what was now a clenched fist. "Get the picture?"  
  
All Kagome could do was nod mutely.  
  
**************************  
  
Inuyasha was already beginning to regret the fight. Why did he have to go and shoot his mouth off like that? He'd have to apologize soon. Swallow his pride and say he was sorry before he did some real damage to his relationship with Kagome.  
  
The problem was, he wasn't very good at expressing himself with anything other than music. Maybe he could write a song for her? No, it would take too long to perfect it. He'd have to rely on one that was already made. Led Zeppelin or the Scorpions might have something good.  
  
Sitting up in bed and wracking his brain for a solution, he heard Stairway to Heaven playing in phone rings. He looked over at the end table ot see his cellphone lying there ringing. Sessh must have brought it over.  
  
Wondering who it could be, Inuyasha picked it up. "Hello?"  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice asked. She seemed timid, nervous. Was she regretting thier argument as much as he was?  
  
"Kagome? Listen, those things I said earlier..."  
  
Kagome cut him off though. "Inuyasha, maybe... maybe it's better if we don't see each other anymore."  
  
Inuyasha sat mute with shock for a second. Did she really just say they should break up. "What?! Kagome wait!"  
  
"Please Inuyasha," she said, her voice cracking as if she were about to cry. "I'm sorry. But it's for the best."  
  
"Kagome, wait! Please! I didn't mean those things I said! I'm sorry! Please, I don't want to lose you! I love you!" He cried out desperately into the phone, trying to make her listen, but it was too late. When he stopped for breath, he heard nothing but a dial tone.  
  
Grief, rage, guilt and sorrow engulfed him. Inuyasha pitched the phone against the far wall, breaking it upon impact as if that would do any good. He snarled, ground his teeth, anything to keep the tears from flowing. He grabbed his pillow and started punching it, pulling and ripping at it, trying desperately to rend it to satisfy the intense rush of emotions that threatened to completely overtake him.  
  
He'd lost her with one fight. It was all his fault. And there was nothing he could do.  
  
**************************  
  
Author's Notes: Well that sucks. I'm hoping to get more writing done soon, so wish me luck. Not much to say besides that this time around. 


	20. I Would Try to Change the Things That Ki

Author's Notes: Well, some of you are pissed off at me for destroying all happiness for Inuyasha and Kagome in one fell swoop. If I didn't, we wouldn't have much of a conflict would we? You need to stop assuming villain's plans won't work. Remember how many people said Koga's scheme would backfire and only make Inuyasha and Kagome closer?  
  
Anyway, that's life. Let's get this bastard going...  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 20- I Would Try to Change the Things That Killed Our Love  
  
Miroku and Shippo waited impatiently in Inuyasha's living room. Sesshoumaru had been up in the loft an hour, saying he was going to try and talk to his younger brother.  
  
The silence and the waiting were beginning to grind on Miroku's nerves. And it wasn't as if he was in a good mood, either. He could still remember it as if the moment had burned into his mind...  
  
***********************  
  
(Flashback)  
  
Miroku sat idly practicing with his new bass, a Steinberger XL-5, and trying to come up with a good beat for that song he wanted to write, Speed Demon.  
  
On his night stand, the phone rang. Wondering who it could be, Miroku reached out and answered it. "Hello?"  
  
"Miroku," said Sango from the other end. "We need to talk."  
  
Miroku tried to stay cool. Whenever women said that, something unpleasant was up. "What's wrong?"  
  
Sango's voice cracked on the other end. "Miroku... I don't think we should be seeing each other anymore. I just... I think we should break up."  
  
Miroku was numb with shock for a moment. "Wait a second, what?! Sango, if it's something I did..."  
  
"Miroku please," Sango pleaded. "It's not you. Just... goodbye." The line went dead.  
  
(End Flashback)  
  
***********************  
  
Something about all this made no sense. Miroku couldn't figure out for the life of him why all this was happening, but he knew something just wasn't right about the whole thing.  
  
Sesshomaru slowly glided down the stairs with a sombre expression on his face, interrupting Miroku from his thoughts. With that expression, it didn't take a genius to figure out things didn't go too well.  
  
"Well," Shippo said jumping up, "how's he doing? Tell us the truth."  
  
Sesshoumaru sighed and looked to the two young men. "He's utterly destroyed. He keeps staring off blankly into space with a questioning look, he hasn't eaten since he got home, and I suspect that in the next few days he'll begin to whither away into a shadow of his former self." Sesshoumaru was obviously trying to stay calm, but his voice started to crack as he finished.  
  
Miroku and Shippo sat mute for a second before Shippo raked a hand back through his hair. "Jesus Christ, tell us a lie!"  
  
"... He'll get over it?" Sesshoumaru only shrugged after that.  
  
"Something about this doesn't add up," Miroku ground out. "First Kagome leaves Inuyasha after one fight. A day later, Sango breaks up with me and the day after Yura breaks up with Naraku. And neither Naraku or I did anything to upset the girls."  
  
"I agree with you," the eldest Morimoto son said as he sank into a recliner. "Kagome doesn't seem the type to so easily destroy a relationship. And Sango and Yura just split without provocation."  
  
"There has to be a reason for all this," Shippo added. "Have any of you guys seen the girls lately?"  
  
Miroku and Sesshoumaru just shook their heads. An uncomfortable silence filled the room for a moment before footsteps came softly from the stairs. Everyone turned to see Inuyasha with dark circles under his eyes and his guitar in hand. "Guys?" he asked in a hoarse whisper. "Can you get ready in the garage? Sessh, I want you to get our video equipment. There's something I need to do."  
  
Miroku certainly wasn't about to say no, and he knew no one else would either.  
  
************************  
  
Kagome collapsed onto her bed with a sob. Koga had taken her out again this morning, and all she could do was try to bear it. Every time he kissed her she felt like she was going to die. She had no idea how much more she could take.  
  
It was no good, though. She was stuck this way, but it was for the best. This way everyone stayed safe. Kagome was the only one who had to suffer now. That didn't mean, however, that it didn't hurt.  
  
Kagome still felt her chest tighten every time she thought about what she had done to Inuyasha. She wanted to see him right now, tell him it wasn't his fault, but she couldn't. If Koga saw her with him...  
  
She felt even worse for having dragged Sango and Yura down with her. Koga had made similar threats to them. He acted like giving Kagome her friends in this coercive nightmare made him some god, but all he was doing was making her more miserable. And Sango and Yura weren't doing much better either.  
  
Trying to shake herself out of this depressing train of thought, Kagome picked herself up and went to the computer. She desperately needed something to keep her mind off all this. A distratction to dull the pain for a little while.  
  
She went to her e-mail, but what she saw there was little consolation. She saw Inuyasha's address among the new messages with two words for a header: "Forgive me."  
  
In her present mood, Kagome would normally have deleted the message rather than listen to her love's pleas for forgiveness that weren't even necessary, but she caught sight of the size of the message. It was too big for a regular apology.  
  
Curious, Kagome opened the message to see there was an attachment. Against her better judgement, she opened it up and her grief returned tenfold. A media player opened to show Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo standing in the garage of the Morimoto home with their instruments. Inuyasha looked at the camera sadly and began to sing to the angsty music.  
  
~*~  
  
Time, it needs time,  
  
To win back your love again.  
  
I will be there, I will be there.  
  
Love, only love,  
  
Can bring back your love someday.  
  
I will be there, I will be there.  
  
~*~  
  
Fight, babe I'll fight,  
  
To win back your love again.  
  
I will be there, I will be there.  
  
Love, only love,  
  
Can bring down the wall someday.  
  
I will be there, I will be there.  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome felt empty inside. Because of Koga, she was losing this, the love of a man who could truly care for her and would always be there for her. She loved him, but she coudln't have him. She couldn't be there to take away his sadness.  
  
~*~  
  
If we'd go again,  
  
All the way from the start,  
  
I would try to change,  
  
The things that killed our love.  
  
Your pride has built a wall, so strong,  
  
That I can't get through!  
  
Is there really no chance,  
  
To start once again?  
  
I'm loving you.  
  
~*~  
  
It tore at Kagome's heart listening to this song and watching Inuyasha sing his heart out on the verge of tears. There was nothing she could do. For the sake of everyone, she had to stay away from him.  
  
~*~  
  
Try, baby try,  
  
To trust in my love again.  
  
I will be there, I will be there.  
  
Love, our love,  
  
Just shouldn't be thrown away!  
  
I will be there, I will be there.  
  
~*~  
  
If we'd go again,  
  
All the way from the start,  
  
I would try to change,  
  
The things that killed our love.  
  
Your pride has built a wall, so strong,  
  
That I can't get through!  
  
Is there really no chance,  
  
To start once again?  
  
~*~  
  
If we'd go again,  
  
All the way from the start,  
  
I would try to change,  
  
The things that killed our love.  
  
Yes I've hurt your pride,  
  
And I know what you've been through!  
  
You should give me a chance.  
  
This can't be the end!  
  
I'm still loving you!  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome broke down in tears as she watched. Inuyasha still blamed himself for all this. If only he knew.  
  
All she could feel now was a knot in her stomach and a dull ache in her heart. They had something wonderful, and a psychopath came and ripped it away from them!  
  
~*~  
  
I'm still loving you!  
  
I'm still loving you!  
  
I need you love,  
  
Still loving you!  
  
Still loving you, baby!  
  
Whoo!  
  
~*~  
  
Still loving you!  
  
Need your love,  
  
Still loving you!  
  
Need your love.  
  
Whoo!  
  
Still loving you!  
  
Need your love.  
  
Whoo!  
  
Need your love!  
  
Need your love!  
  
~*~  
  
The video faded to black and Kagome collapsed sobbing with her head in her arms. It just wasn't fair!  
  
***********************  
  
Author's Notes: Short, I know, but I intended this one to be pretty short anyway. A little more angst will be in the next chapter, plus a new twist to the plot that should keep you people hooked.  
  
Don't worry, the gloom and doom tone right now is only temporary. I'm not very good at sad endings. 


	21. Sending Out an SOS

Author's Notes: Well a lot of people are pretty pissed off at me for not fixing things right away. Don't worry, everything in good time. I'm hoping I can finish this story before the end of August, and if I haul ass, I might just be able to.  
  
A couple people wanted to know the various bands and albums I've used. A couple songs I borrowed lyrics from, I honestly can't remember a blessed thing about. But I'll see what I can do.  
  
A couple of my reviewers feel that some characters are a little out of character. Yeah, I've known that for some time now. I'm making an effort to try and make things better, but when I write a sory, it honestly seems to write itself. I know I must sound like some pretentious artiste, or I'm higher than a kite, but that's the easiest way to explain it.  
  
I will see what I can do to make things a little better, but I don't know how successful I'll be. To be honest, I never actually expected more than one or two people to actually read this. I just wrote it because I felt like it. The response was pretty surprising.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 21- Sending Out an S.O.S.  
  
Miroku lay on his bed trying to sort things out. He just played one album after another, making sure to avoid Counterparts. As much as he liked Rush, he just couldn't agree with Neil Peart's aversion to love songs.  
  
Shippo seemed to be the only one left with any happinness. At least he still had Kirara. But that wasn't what he was trying to think about. What Miroku wanted right now were answers to his questions. Why had Sango, Kagome, and Yura left? Something about these pieces didn't fit together.  
  
Playing through 2112, he made sure to skip past Soliloquy. He wasn't really in a mood to hear that kind of thing. If only there was a way to get a hold of Sango and talk to her...  
  
But right now that was wishful thinking.  
  
************************  
  
Yura sat in her room, idly combing out a doll's hair. She missed Naraku, there was nothing else to it. That bastard Koga had threatened her family, promised he would hurt them if she didn't leave Naraku. Kagome was there to show he was telling the truth, so what else could Yura have done?  
  
She sighed sadly and tried to hold back her tears. She tried to think of something else, but it was no good. Yura just couldn't believe her life was now being decided for her by a sociopath.  
  
Gnashing her teeth, she decided she had to do something. Koga had forbidden her from any further contact with Naraku and the others, but what the bastard didn't know couldn't hurt him.  
  
Wait, more like what he didn't know could give him a good swift kick in the balls and a knife in the ribs. Less than he deserved. Now she just needed a plan. Naraku had told her secrets about himself no one else knew. If anyone could help them all get back at Koga, it was him.  
  
************************  
  
Naraku was laying in his room staring at the far wall where he kept his pets. There was Onigumo the tarantula, Rasputin the python, Klaus the scorpion, and Jesse James the ferret. Right now, they were about the only thing that was distracting him from his doubt and grief.  
  
Now that Yura was gone, he regretted never having told her he loved her. It didn't help that he realized it only a day before she left him. Contacting her was futile, though. Not one message returned.  
  
"I never thought I'd see myself like this," Naraku muttered, turning over on his side. "Someone just put a bullet in me."  
  
This wouldn't be quite so bad if he just understood what the fuck caused all this.  
  
************************  
  
Inuyasha sat in the loft playing his guitar. He just couldn't get this out of his head. He had been playing So Much Glass for the past three hours, but venting his feelings wasn't helping. If anything he just felt worse.  
  
He didn't realize just how important the last few people left in his life were until now. Why did life seem to enjoy spitting in his face more than anyone else's?  
  
Kagome never responded to the video he sent her. She probably just got rid of it. Why was she doing this to him? Wouldn't anything he said or did ever be good enough?  
  
Trying desperately to keep his spirits afloat, he began playing a new song. Maybe he'd make another video. It was all he could do, anyway.  
  
************************  
  
Sango walked down the street toward Miroku's house. To hell with Koga! He'd never find out about this, and Miroku deserved an explanation. Even if there was nothing they could do, she at least wanted him to know she still loved him, still wanted to be with him. But there was nothing either of them could do to stop the psychotic little bastard that was tearing them apart.  
  
She tested the door, seeing no car in the driveway, and was relieved to see it was open. She heard music from upstairs and immediately figured Miroku would be there.  
  
When the singing started, she recognized it to be another Rush song. Predictable. Sango couldn't help but smile at that.  
  
~*~  
  
Waiting for the winds of change,  
  
To sweep the clouds away.  
  
Waiting for the rainbow's end,  
  
To cast its gold your way.  
  
Countless ways you pass the day,  
  
Waiting for someone to come,  
  
And turn your world around!  
  
Looking for an answer,  
  
To the question you have found!  
  
Looking for an open door!  
  
~*~  
  
Sango had reached the doorway, and stopped tentatively to peer in. Miroku was on his bed gazing out the window. The song was beginning to take on a reality.  
  
~*~  
  
Well you don't get something for nothing!  
  
You can't have freedom for free!  
  
You won't get wise with the sleep still in your eyes,  
  
No matter what your dream might... be!  
  
~*~  
  
Now there was a message Sango really needed. She had felt her courage beginning to waver at the thought of confronting Miroku again. But nothing would ever be solved if she backed down and gave in to Koga.  
  
~*~  
  
Well you don't get something for nothing!  
  
You can't have freedom for free!  
  
You won't get wise with the sleep still in your eyes,  
  
No matter what your dream might be!  
  
~*~  
  
What you own is your own kingdom.  
  
What you do is your own glory.  
  
What you love is your own power.  
  
What you live is your own story.  
  
~*~  
  
Sango's mind was fast getting made up. She was not going to let Koga ruin the life of her or her friends. They had to find a way.  
  
~*~  
  
In your head is the answer, let it guide you along.  
  
Let your heart be the anchor and the beat of your song!  
  
~*~  
  
Well you don't get something for nothing!  
  
You can't have freedom for free! No!  
  
~*~  
  
No, you don't get something for nothing!  
  
You can't have freedom for free!  
  
No, no, no, no, no!  
  
~*~  
  
With a deep breath to ready herself, Sango stepped into Miroku's room. He turned his head to face her and nearly jumped when their eyes met. The poor guy looked like he thought he was dreaming.  
  
Sango tried to come up with something witty and profound to say to break the silence, but instead she just walked over to Miroku and embraced him as a few tears quietly slipped out. "God, I missed you," she sobbed softly.  
  
****************************  
  
Kikyo sighed softly as she lay on the lounger on the patio of the Morimoto home in Sesshoumaru's arms. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy her lover's embrace, but she was still troubled by her sister's and Inuyasha's situation.  
  
"What's wrong?" Sesshoumaru asked softly. He lifted his head and looked down into her eyes.  
  
"It's our siblings," she answered truthfully. One of the things Kikyo cherished the most about her relationship is that nothing was held back. They both freely spoke thier minds whenever they wanted to, always hearing each other out. "It just doesn't look right. After Kagome left Inuyasha, she's been regularly vanishing every day and comes home looking like she's ready to die."  
  
Sesshoumaru nodded slowly. "You're right. Something doesn't smell right about all this. Have you had a chance to talk to Kagome at all about this?"  
  
Kikyo just shook her head. "She seldom makes eye contact with us anymore. She hasn't eaten in two days, either. At least not that I've seen. I'm worried."  
  
"Inuyasha doesn't seem to be in any better shape. He either stares off into space or plays on his guitar all day. It's always either So Much Glass, Still Loving You, Cold Fire, or The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair."  
  
"Poor guy," Kikyo thought aloud as he rested her cheek on Sesshoumaru's chest. "I wish there was something we could do."  
  
"I know," Sesshoumaru offered comfortingly as he tightened his arms around her. "I know."  
  
****************************  
  
Yura had meant to tell Naraku the situation as soon as she saw him, but after a few minutes of staring at one another in disbelief, they embraced and made love once more.  
  
Yura looked up from her spot on her lover's chest and turned serious. "Naraku, there's something you need to know."  
  
Naraku's expression turned serious and he sat up, cradling Yura in his arms. "Tell me. I lost you once, and I get the feeling that I might lose you again. Please tell me."  
  
Bursting into tears, Yura collapsed into his embrace and told him everything. She felt Naraku's muscles tensen with rage at the revelation.  
  
"Bastard," he growled. "I never did like that guy. I never would have figured him for a psycho, though. Or a mobster."  
  
"I remember what you told me about yourself," Yura said, her voice muffled by Naraku's shoulder. "Are you still up to it? Can you help us?"  
  
"I'd walk barefoot into Hell and back for you," Naraku answered solemnly. "You're damn right I will."  
  
Yura couldn't help but smile. After working so hard to clean himself up over te past year, her lover was ready to go through it all over again for her and their friends.  
  
****************************  
  
Miroku was trying desperately to keep his rage in check. So that was what was going on, was it? It made sense now. Inuyasha needed to know, but his reaction may very well be a little dangerous.  
  
"What are we going to do?" he thought aloud.  
  
"Nothing," Sango said sadly. "Koga's covered all the angles."  
  
"No," Miroku insisted. "There is no such thing as a perfect plan. I don't believe in the no-win scenario."  
  
"But what can we do? Kagome is willing to sacrifice her happinness for all of us to stay alive, Koga has the police in his pocket. We're stuck."  
  
"No!" It was the first time in a long time that Miroku has raised his voice. "I'm not giving up so easily. And I don't believe for an instant that you will either. Why would you be here, otherwise."  
  
He could tell he had gotten through to Sango on that one. She was even more of a fighter than him. "What we need is a plan," Miroku continued.  
  
The phone downstairs rang. With a grumble, Miroku stepped up to get it. "I'll be back. This conversation isn't over," he said over his shoulder.  
  
He snatched the phone off the hook and held it up. "Hello?"  
  
"Miroku?" Was that Naraku? That voicewas unmistakeable. "There's something you need to know. I just talked ot Yura and..."  
  
"I know," Miroku interrupted. "I know. Sango told me everything just a moment ago."  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment before Naraku spoke again. "We need to let Inuyasha in on this."  
  
Miroku nodded reflexively before speaking. "Agreed. But are we going to do."  
  
"There are things about me you don't know," Naraku answered cryptically. "I've only told Yura so far. But trust me, as soon as we get Inuyasha and Kagome back, I have and know what it takes for us to in this one."  
  
Now Miroku was a little freaked out. Naraku was creepy to begin with, and he always suspected that the goth was holding some dark secrets, but having his suspicions and having them confirmed were two entirely different things.  
  
****************************  
  
Author's Notes: Not much time left. I leave soon and I don't think I'll be able to finish once I leave. I'll do my damndest to get the last chapters out. 22 is a short one, so I should have it done in a day or two. If I can just finish 23 and 24 in a timely fashion, I think I cna finish this thing. At least 23 anyway. Hopefully, if I fail to get 24 out, I can keep my interest in the show and this story long enough to write the epilogue during Thanksgiving break.  
  
Anyway, you wanted a list so here goes:  
  
(in order of appearance not counting chapter titles [do that next at the epilogue])  
  
Communication Breakdown by Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin I)  
  
Scott Farcas Takes it On the Chin by Less Than Jake (Hello Rockview)  
  
Help Save the Youth of America from Exploding by Less Than Jake (Hello Rockview)  
  
Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin IV)  
  
Tom Sawyer by Rush (Moving Pictures)  
  
All My Best Friends Are Metal Heads by Less Than Jake (Hello Rockview)  
  
Trampled Underfoot by Led Zeppelin (Physical Graffiti)  
  
Rock You Like a Hurricane by The Scorpions (Love at First Sting)  
  
Spin Me Right Round by Poison (unknown)  
  
Rock and Roll by Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin IV)  
  
Kashmir by Led Zeppelin (Physical Graffiti)  
  
Free Will by Rush (Permanent Waves)  
  
Fly By Night by Rush (Fly By Night)  
  
The Trees by Rush (Hemispheres)  
  
Limelight by Rush (Moving Pictures)  
  
Red Sector A by Rush (Moving Pictures)  
  
What if God Smoked Cannabis by (supposedly) Wierd Al Yankovik (unknown)  
  
Time Stand Still by Rush (Hold Your Fire)  
  
Achilles' Last Stand by Led Zeppelin (Presence)  
  
Just For by Nickelback (Silver Side Up)  
  
Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon (can't remember)  
  
What Is and What Should Never Be by Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin II)  
  
Sunglasses at Night by (Hell if I remember the name and album)  
  
Give It Away by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (can't remember)  
  
Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves by (once again I really don't remember or care)  
  
Everybody Wants To Rule the World by (see above)  
  
Goodbye to Romance by Ozzy Ozbourne (Blizzard of Ozz)  
  
Cats In the Cradle by (once again too lazy to remember)  
  
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me by (do any of you care?)  
  
By-Tor and the Snow Dog by Rush (Fly By Night)  
  
Can't Get Enough of You Baby by Smashmouth (Astro Lounge)  
  
Crazy Train by Ozzy Ozzbourne (Blizzard of Ozz)  
  
Mission by Rush (Hold Your Fire)  
  
The Analog Kid by Rush (Signals)  
  
Bark at the Moon by Ozzy Ozzbourne (Bark at the Moon)  
  
May This Be Love by Jimi Hendrix (Are You Experienced?)  
  
Cold Fire by Rush (Counterparts)  
  
Houses of the Holy by Led Zeppelin (Physical Graffiti)  
  
Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin II)  
  
No One Like You by The Scorpions (Blackout)  
  
Melt With You by Modern English (unknown)  
  
The Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson (Court of the Crimson King)  
  
The Science of Selling Yourself Short by Less Than Jake (Anthem)  
  
The Zoo by The Scorpions (Animal Magnetism)  
  
Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin III)  
  
Dazed and Confused by Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin I)  
  
Big Crash by Less Than Jake (Hello Rockview)  
  
Marathon by Rush (Power Windows)  
  
Money by Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon)  
  
2112 (Overture, Temples of Syrinx, The Discovery, The Presentation, Oracle: The Dream, Soliloquy, Grand Finale) by Rush (2112)  
  
War Pigs by Black Sabbath (Paranoid)  
  
We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister (still don't remember)  
  
Wind of Change by The Scorpions (Crazy World)  
  
Still Loving You by The Scorpions (Love at First Sting) 


	22. Bonus: Subdivisions Music Video

Author's Notes: This is the bonus that I promised you all a long time ago. I really procrastinated in doing this, dumbass that I am. Well, here you go.  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master- Special Bonus: Subdivisions  
  
0:00  
(Synthesizer intro. The screen is black with a single green line showing the pitch of the music.)  
  
0:05  
(The camera zooms into the green line which fades into the image of a suburban neighborhood. It wildly zooms through like a bird in flight coming to the Morimoto home and passing through the garage door to show the band members practicing the song.)  
  
0:12  
(The camera goes through a quick series of tight close-ups of each invdidual member starting with Inuyasha, then Miroku, Shippo and Naraku.)  
  
0:20  
(The camera wildly flies away as it did before, passing through scenes of Kagome and Sango walking home from school, Kirara moving into her new home, Yura passing by with her cellphone out, and Koga running a race at the high school track.)  
  
0:36  
(As the camera continues to zoom by, it changes perspective to watch Inuyasha walking down the streets playing air guitar to what's on his headphones, Naraku paying for a ticket to see a movie, Miroku cruising by in his car, and Shippo scamming some sap with Three Card Monty.)  
  
0:50  
(The camera picks up speed and races through town to the point where everything becomes a blur, taking sharp turns every now and again.)  
Sprawling on the fringes of the city  
In geometric order  
An insulated border  
  
1:04  
(Day turns to night as the camera enters downtown with larger buildings. The lights all come on.)  
In between the bright lights  
And the far unlit unknown  
(The camera then goes spiralling straight up into the night sky before plummetting back into the city which becomes day again.)  
  
1:16  
(The view changes to a young Inuyasha mourning at his mother's grave.)  
Growing up it all seems so one-sided  
(The scenery around him morphs into a school hallway with jeering children pointing at him as Miroku walks beside him trying to comfort him.)  
Opinions all provided  
(The scenery morphs again to see the day in which Kagome and Sango first yelled at Miroku and Inuyasha.)  
The future pre-decided  
(The camera zooms in to show Inuyasha looking over his shoulder at Kagome with a hurt expression on his face. His face dissolves into hers with a black background as a look of surprise crosses her features.)  
Detached and subdivided  
In the mass production zone  
(Kagome ages from 8 to 18 through a dissolve and the camera goes into a tight close-up of her face. She gasps after the word "dreamer" and looks to her right as if over her shoulder and the camera pans to the left to show half of her face, and revealing an 18-year-old Inuyasha standing behind her with his back turned and looking sternly over his shoulder)  
Nowhere is the dreamer or the misfit so alone.  
  
1:41  
(Inuyasha and Kagome, still fixed in their standing positions begin to fly in circles, soon joined by Miroku with his hands in his pockets and Sango with her arms folded over her chest. The four of them continue to spin for a moment before they gravitate together back-to-back. The camera zooms in and slowly pans to the right to follow each one as they mouth a lyric.)  
Miroku: Subdivisions  
Kagome: In the high school halls  
Sango: In the shopping malls  
Inuyasha: Conform or be cast out  
Miroku: Subdivisions  
Kagome: In the basement bars  
Sango: In the backs of cars  
Inuyasha: Be cool or be cast out!  
(The four figures all fly away in the way they entered)  
  
2:04  
(The camera cuts to show a scene of Inuyasha in his loft bedroom at a small desk trying to write out some sheet music and becoming increasingly frustrated before he swipes everything off the desk and storms to his window, looking out with one arm propping him against the wall.)  
Any escape might help to smooth the unattractive truth  
But the suburbs have no charms to sooth the restless dreams of youth  
(The camera flies out the window and starts racing through the streets as before.)  
  
2:16  
(The camera flies along, coming to a stop on a scene of Inuyasha in a fist fight with a couple of football players. Koga is seen in the jeering crowd with Yura who soon walks off to her car and drives off. Her car passes Kagome's. The camera zooms into a close-up of Kagome then zooms out to show her parking in front of a shopping that Miroku is walking out of with a smoothie in hand. The camera zooms into his shoulder then zooms back to show him walking down the streets downtown at dusk and giving Naraku a high five. Naraku then climbs onto his motorcycle and drives off with the camera following him.)  
  
2:46  
(Naraku's motorcycle is soon joined by Miroku's car with Inuyasha standing up through the sun roof banging his head and Shippo sticking his head out the window with a peace sign.)  
Drawn like moths we drift into the city  
A timeless old attraction  
Cruising for the action  
  
2:56  
(The vehicles pass by Kagome and Sango whom the camera fixes on and they watch the four drive off with expressions of mixed feelings on their faces.)  
Lit up like a firefly  
Just to feel the living light  
  
3:05  
(The camera cuts to show the four bandmembers sitting in the bleachers at the high school stadium. Miroku is staring off into space looking bored, Inuyasha is drowning out reality with his headphones, Shippo is playing on a Gameboy, and Naraku is reading a book. The camera zip pans to show Koga winning a race and looking very smug.)  
Well some will sell their dreams for small desires  
And lose the race to rats  
  
3:14  
(The camera then cuts to Sango looking bored in the stands)  
Get caught in ticking traps  
  
3:18  
(She then looks up at Miroku who looks back down to her as the camera zooms out to take them both in. On the word "somewhere" everything but the two of them fades away into a black background and they stand as they hover to face each other in profile to the camera.)  
And start to dream of somewhere to relax their restless flight  
(At the world "lighted" the camera zooms out to show the two of them facing each other under the glow of a street lamp in the middle of the night.)  
Somewhere out of a memory of lighted streets on quiet nights  
  
3:32  
(Sango and Miroku begin flying around in circles as in the previous chorus and are joined once more by Inuyasha and Kagome. They are in the same circle as before, mouthing the lyrics as the camera focuses on each one of them indivdually)  
Miroku: Subdivisions  
Kagome: In the high school halls  
Sango: In the shopping malls  
Inuyasha: Conform or be cast out  
Miroku: Subdivisions  
Kagome: In the basement bars  
Sango: In the backs of cars  
Inuyasha: Be cool or be cast out!  
(As they fly apart, Inuyasha makes a lunge forward, Kagome steps away looking uncertain, Sango storms off as if angry with something, and Miroku simply walks away with his head down and hands still shoved into his pockets.)  
  
3:56  
(The camera cuts to a scene of Kirara sitting on a couch and sobbing as she looks at a picture of her with a woman we assume is her mother. The view pans to her front as Shippo comes up behind her and places his hands on her shoulders trying to comfort her.)  
  
4:05  
(The camera cuts to a scene of Naraku sitting in a movie theater. He's slouching deep into his seat and his boots are propped up and crossed on the empty seat in front of him as he munches on another mouthful of popcorn looking very bored. He glances to his right and the camera follows his gaze to show Yura a few seats down sipping out of a large coke and glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes.)  
  
4:13  
(The camera goes to a scene of Sesshoumaru and Kikyo walking arm-in-arm down at the beach at dusk and smiling.)  
  
4:22  
(The camera cuts back to the band in the garage playing.)  
  
4:38  
(Shippo fades away from the scene, followed by Naraku seconds later, and at last Miroku, leaving Inuyasha alone.)  
Any escape might help to smooth the unattractive truth  
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe the restless dreams of youth  
  
4:49  
(Kagome enters the garage and there is a close-up on her before the camera cuts back to a close-up on Inuyasha watching her as he sets his guitar aside. He begins to walk to her. The camera cuts to Kagome moving toward Inuyasha. It then cuts to show the two of them in slow motion as they move to embrace each other in profile to the camera.)  
  
5:10  
(The camera zooms into a tight close-up of the two of them as they close the distance between each other's lips. At the music's highest point, they meet in a passionate kiss.)  
  
5:26  
(The camera slowly pans over to show Miroku, Shippo, and Naraku back in their places and finishing the song as they look over and smile at their friends.)  
  
5:32  
(Fade to black.)  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes: Well, what do you guys think? Was this a hit or a miss? Do you think I have a future as a director?  



	23. Baby, Our Love Will Find a Way

Author's Notes: I am back for a little while. Long enough to give you all another chapter. I hope.  
  
College is great, but getting it all down and set in the new routines is rough. The abrupt switch from a family environment into self-sufficiency is one hell of a paradigm shift.  
  
Anyway, I've kept you all waiting long enough, you don't want to hear my chatter. Let's get on with this thing.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chatper 22- Baby Our Love Will Find a Way  
  
Naraku heaved a sigh and paced a moment. "This isn't easy for me to tell you guys. I never wanted this to get out."  
  
Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Kikyo, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, and Yura were all seated in the Morimoto home living room, their eyes on the young goth. "We all have stuff like that. But if it's really important we need to know," Shippo said.  
  
"I know, I know," Naraku said raking a hand through his hair. "But that doesn't make it easy... The fact is... The fact is I have ties with Kobes' crime syndicate."  
  
"What?!" Inuyasha bellowed. He had taken the news of the real reason why Kagome had left him hard enough. Naraku knew that this would upset him.  
  
"Let me explain!" Naraku said in his own defense. "When I was thirteen I was a rebel. My parents never gave two fucks about me, it was all just one long drinking game and TV marathon to them. I was able to do pretty much whatever I wanted. And I made a lot of mistakes.  
  
"One night, I started shoplifting. Didn't take long before I got pretty good at it. I learned how to avoid the cameras, move about silently, move with background noise, act casual, sleight of hand. Well... a couple people took interest.  
  
"I was fifteen when a gang approached me after seeing me at work. They wanted to me to do some petty theft for them. Booze, smokes, snacks, and occasionally something bigger. Simple enough, and it got me money. I never really complained.  
  
"A year later, they wanted me present for some drug deals. I thought these guys were just run-aways and drop-outs. I was wrong. They were fencing and pushing drugs for the Kobes. The fact is the Kobes have their syndicate spreading through four cities in this state. They choose to live in this quiet one to avoid drawing attention."  
  
Naraku sighed again and pursed his lips a moment. He never made eye contact with the others. "I was good at what I did. But then you guys came along. I actually felt like I belonged somewhere outside of the syndicate. You guys never had a squeaky clean record, but you were living good. I decided to leave the syndicate and go legit.  
  
"The thing is, if there's anything that the movies got right, it's that a crime syndicate like the one the Kobes run is dependent on loyalty. If I was going to go legit, I had to take an oath of silence. But what I'm doing right now violates that. The whole point was that if I was ever caught, I wouldn't tell. The organization would persist because the loyalty is strong enough that they never give away their own.  
  
"But I'm telling you guys this because right now you need to know. And it would be for the best anyway."  
  
"Well, thanks for telling us," Kirara said, "but how are we going to get Kagome back?"  
  
Naraku gave a nervous half-smile. "Here's where we enter a grey area. I don't know how to get her out, but I do know that once we do, I have enough dirt on the Kobes to have them arrested so fast they'll think they time-warped. The rest of the syndicate will be fine. Oath of silence, like I said."  
  
"Question," Kikyo said. "How will that make things any better? The organization is still there."  
  
"Sort of," Naraku answered. "When I left, one of my contacts was considering challenging the Kobes for leadership, but he knew he couldn't stand up to them. He wants to shift the organization away from the drugs and arms trade and move toward the casino scene. Not quite legit, but damn close."  
  
"Well, I guess that leaves getting Kagome out to be the only problem," Miroku said.  
  
Inyasha had been strangely silent the whole time. Suddenly, his face split into a huge grin. "I just had this really interesting idea. Kirara, you know computers. Do you think you could hack into someone's system?"  
  
"Is the Pope Catholic?" Kirara answered.  
  
"Excellent!" Inuyasha shouted.  
  
"May I ask, dear brother," Sesshoumaru interrupted, "just what is going through that demented head of yours?"  
  
"Only what is possibly the kost brilliant idea I've ever had! Miroku, Shippo, Naraku! You're coming with me! We have work to do!"  
  
Naraku looked to Miroku and Shippo with a lifted eyebrow as Inuyasha bolted up to his room. "I don't know which is scarier," he said, "Inuyasha facing morbid depression, or Inuyasha in the throes of mania."  
  
****************************  
  
A week passed. Kagome dropped down onto her bed sobbing. Koga had apparently decided he was going to continue living off the family trade. And he had just forbade Kagome from going to college. She hadn't even gotten a chance to choose a major yet. There were so many tihngs she could do, but now all the choices, all the things she could have been, were being ripped away from her. It wasn't fair. After contemplating the hopelessness of her situation, he cried herself to sleep.  
  
She awoke some time later feeling no better than before. So this is what a no-win scenario feels like.  
  
Kagome got up to go to her computer, knowing Koga would have left aonther couple messages. Strangely, there was only one this time. "Meet me tonight," it said.  
  
She opened up and perused through the contents. Wait a second, he wanted her to meet him at the O'Crowley Theater? She knew he was nuts, but this was new. It was also a little creepy. What was he planning? Kagome dreaded to have to think about it. But she knew that in the end she had no choice.  
  
Choking back more tears, Kagome dragged herself to the bathroom to get cleaned up. All she could do was get this stage of the nightmare overwith.  
  
****************************  
  
It was 8 PM, and Kagome stood at the side exit to the theater, just like Koga had said. Sure enough, the door was propped open slightly with a small wooden wedge. Swallowing her heart back down, she slipped inside quickly.  
  
It was so dark inside, but there was a light to her right. Tentatively, Kagome made her way toward it. She found herself inside the actual theater, the stage curtain drawn, and the house lights set low. "H-hello?" she called out. "Koga?"  
  
"Not quite," came a voice over the speakers. A familiar voice that made Kagome nearly jump out of her skin with joy and horror.  
  
Spotlight came on and foucsed on the stage, and the curtain drew back. There they were. Inuyasha with his double-neck guitar. Miroku with his bass. Shippo surrounded by his drums. And even Naraku on the right with a synthesizer. "Evening Kagome," Inuyasha said into his microphone. "You're just in time."  
  
Kagome felt her heart pounding. She wanted to see Inuyasha so badly, but she had to stay away from him. She took a step back in fear, but Inuyasha just shook his head and pointed behind her.  
  
Kagome looked back and there was Kikyo shutting the exit behind her. She grinned and wagged a finger at her sister. "Now, now, Kagome. It's very rude to leave before the show even starts."  
  
"Indeed," came a voice from Kagome's side. She wheeled around to see Sesshoumaru blocking the other exit. "We went through all the trouble of getting you here. The least you can do is watch."  
  
Kagome looked desperately to the emergency exits. But sure enough, Sango and Yura already had those covered. "The boys have been practicing this routine all week," Sango said.  
  
"And Kirara not only hacked Koga's computer to send you that fake e-mail, but was also nice enough to do a light show for the boys' little concert," Yura added.  
  
"Just have a seat, Kagome," Inuyasha said. "You get front row center. And I promise after this is done, you'll feel better."  
  
Swallowing audibly, Kagome realized there was no way she was getting out of this one. She slowly went to the front row and took her seat in the center, looking up at the band expectantly.  
  
"I'm here to tell you a story..." Inuyasha began.  
  
Author's Notes: And another cliffhanger. Am I using too many of these?  
  
Anyway, since I still have lots of time, I just might be able to finish the next chapter before I leave for college again. I not, mid-December you cna expect to see it. And an epilogue not long after.  
  
The next one will be very heavy on the songs. So let's hope the damn site can fix the little problem with double-spacing everything when I don't want it to by then. 


	24. All of My Love to You

Author's Notes: Well, I'm back! Yes, I'm back! Well, I'm... back... back. Back in black! Christmas break is here, and I'm going ot be here throughout January so the story will be finished at long last. Lately, I've found a lot of bands, new and old alike, that I really like, but can't use their songs because of the subject matter. So I'll give them a mention from the characters in the final chapter. They're rally good, and deserve at least a shot, right?  
  
In the meantime, how's this for a Christmas present?  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 23- All of My Love to You  
  
Kagome bit her lip nervously. Doubts, fear, uncertainty, near-panic... all these thoughts and more kept swimming through her head. Didn't they understand? She had ot stay away to protect them. Why were they trying so hard? Inuyasha was going to get himself killed!  
  
The boys didn't seem to care, though. They gave one last check of their instruments as Inuyasha spoke into the microphone. "This story starts with the birth of a boy. He was no ordinary boy. A rare genetic condition made him look like a dog and gave him strength, speed, and enhanced senses. Seems like an okay trade-off. But then you have to think about the social stigma. The boy was victimized his entire life because he was different. Doesn't sound very fair, I know. But that's human nature. We need to fit in somewhere, and to feel superior we cast out those who are different."  
  
At that, Naraku started a rhythm on his keyboard. After a moment, the other boys joined in. In a matter of seconds, they were already having fun with the music. The captivating stage presence was stronger than ever. As hte lightshow kicked in, the stage was flooded with green lights, intense beams of red and blue wandering across the stage aimlessly.  
  
~*~  
  
Sprawling on the fringes of the city  
  
In geometric order  
  
An insulated border  
  
In between the bright lights  
  
And the far unlit unknown  
  
~*~  
  
Growing up it all seems so one-sided  
  
Opinions all provided  
  
The future pre-decided  
  
Detached and subdivided  
  
In the mass production zone  
  
Nowhere is the dreamer or the misfit so alone  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome knew why Inuyasha chose this song. It was the story of his life. You either fit in, or you didn't. But even if you were a misfit, you had the other misfits. Only the hermits had no one.  
  
As the chorus came, Naraku provided the back-up vocals, while Miroku sang with Inuyasha for a harmony on the last two lines.  
  
~*~  
  
(Subdivisions)  
  
In the high school halls  
  
In the shopping malls  
  
Conform or be cast out  
  
(Subdivisions)  
  
In the basement bars  
  
In the backs of cars  
  
Be cool or be cast out  
  
Any escape might help to smooth the unattractive truth  
  
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe the restless dreams of youth  
  
~*~  
  
Drawn like moths we drift into the city  
  
The timeless old attraction  
  
Cruising for the action  
  
Lit up like a firefly  
  
Just to feel the living night  
  
~*~  
  
Some will sell their dreams for small desires  
  
Or lose the race to rats  
  
Get caught in ticking traps  
  
And start to dream of somewhere  
  
To relax their restless flight  
  
Somewhere out of a memory of lighted streets on quiet nights...  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha sang those verses with incredible, yet controlled, passion. This song had a deeply personal meaning to him. Why shouldn't he put his heart and soul into it? It was one of the things Kagome loved about him. And it only made the heartache worse.  
  
~*~  
  
(Subdivisions)  
  
In the high school halls  
  
In the shopping malls  
  
Conform or be cast out  
  
(Subdivisions)  
  
In the basement bars  
  
In the backs of cars  
  
Be cool or be cast out  
  
Any escape might help to smooth the unattractive truth  
  
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe the restless dreams of youth  
  
~*~  
  
When the guitar solo came around, Inuyasha let himself go as usual. He went all over the stage, running elbows with the others. Not to be outdone, Miroku took up a surprisingly flamboyant stance, Shippo went berzerk, and even Naraku managed a degree of wild behavior.  
  
~*~  
  
Any escape might help to smooth the unattractive truth  
  
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe the restless dreams of youth  
  
~*~  
  
The song came to a dramatic closing and the boys were looking pretty confident, even smug, with a 'Yes, we do indeed rock,' look on their faces.  
  
Inuyasha turned to his microphone once more. "The dog boy eventually found a friend in another outcast. For a time, they felt like it was the two of them against the world. They both shared a passion for music, and wanted to make their own.  
  
"For the first boy, his first attempts at music stemmed from anger, for the way he had been treated his whole life, and sadness after a girl he had really cared about turned him down in a very harsh way. His life was pretty chaotic. And for a time, he blamed that girl for his troubles, not realizing until a year later that he was only holding himself back by doing that. But hey, life's hard. Even after he stopped blaming others, he only realized that the struggling was far from over."  
  
Inuyasha started with palm muted guitar into the next song. The stage was bathed in red and yellow lights with white spotlights on the four band members.  
  
~*~  
  
Maybe life is like a ride on a freeway  
  
Dodging bullets while you're trying to find your way  
  
Everyone's around, but no one does a damn thing  
  
It brings me down, but I won't let them  
  
~*~  
  
If I seem bleak  
  
Well you'd be correct  
  
And if I don't speak  
  
It's cause I can't disconnect  
  
But I won't be burned by the reflection  
  
Of the fire in your eyes  
  
As you're staring at the sun  
  
Whoa!  
  
As you're staring at the sun  
  
Whoa!  
  
As you're staring at the sun  
  
Whoa!  
  
As you're staring at the sun  
  
As you're staring at the sun!  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome didn't really like hearing reminders about how hard life had been for Inuyasha. Considering she had only perpetuated the problem for a while. But it did make her feel a little better knowing that he was rising above it all. It gave her some hope.  
  
She was captured once again when Inuyasha launched once more into the next verse with a manic passion.  
  
~*~  
  
When I ran I didn't feel like a runaway  
  
When I escaped I didn't feel like I got away  
  
There's more to living than only surviving  
  
Maybe I'm not there, but I'm still trying  
  
~*~  
  
Though you hear me  
  
I don't think that you relate  
  
My will is something  
  
That you can't confiscate  
  
So forgive me, but I won't be frustrated  
  
By destruction in your eyes  
  
As you're staring at the sun   
  
Whoa!  
  
As you're staring at the sun  
  
Whoa!  
  
As you're staring at the sun  
  
~*~  
  
Maybe life is like a ride on a freeway  
  
Dodging bullets while you're trying to find your way  
  
Everyone's around, but no one does a damn thing  
  
It brings me down, but I won't let them  
  
~*~  
  
If I seem bleak  
  
Well you'd be correct  
  
And if I don't speak  
  
It's cause I can't disconnect  
  
But I won't be burned by the reflection  
  
Of the fire in your eyes  
  
As you're staring at the sun  
  
Whoa!  
  
As you're staring at the sun  
  
Whoa!  
  
As you're staring at the sun  
  
Whoa!  
  
As you're staring at the sun  
  
As you're staring at the sun!  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha raked a hand back through his hair and grinned. So far so good. He looked down to see Kagome leaning forward in her seat. His plan was working. He just had to keep going. "But the dog boy wasn't the only one with woman problems. His friend had his own set of troubles he needed to work out."  
  
A quick guitar intro, and Miroku took to his microphone with the rest of the providing the back-up vocals. Spotlights came down on Miroku and Sango standing just off-stage to the side. The rest of the stage was bathed in all colors of light.  
  
~*~  
  
Well, there's a certain girl I've been in love with a long, long time   
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you (Ahh...)   
  
I can't reveal her name until she's mine   
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you (Ahh...)   
  
I've tried to make her time and time again   
  
Still we're introduced as nothing but friends   
  
And there's a certain girl I've been in love with a long, long time   
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you (Ahh...)  
  
~*~  
  
Miroku looked off to the side to see Sango with a silly smile on her face staring at him. Just what he was hoping for.  
  
~*~  
  
There's a certain chick I've been sweet on since I met her   
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you (Ahh...)  
  
I can't reveal her name until I get her   
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you (Ahh...)   
  
Someday I'm gonna wake up and say (Yeah?)  
  
I'll do anything just to be your slave   
  
And there's a certain girl I've been in love with a long, long time  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you (Ahh...)  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha took to the solo with relish, as was his standard. 'Like the saying goes,' Miroku thought to himself, 'gotta love what you do.' At least he wasn't trying to upstage everyone else. Inuyasha knew that this was Miroku's song, and he was the one who deserved the spotlight.  
  
~*~  
  
There's a certain girl I've been in love with a long, long time  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you (Ahh...)   
  
I can't reveal her name until she's mine   
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you (Ahh...)   
  
I've tried to make her time and time again (Yeah?)  
  
Still we're introduced as nothing but friends   
  
And there's a certain girl I've been in love with a long, long time   
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you (Ahh...)  
  
I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you (Ahh...)  
  
I can't tell you   
  
(What's her name?) I cannot   
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you (Ahh...)  
  
I can't tell you   
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you! (Ahh...)  
  
I can't tell you!  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you!  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you!  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you!  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you!  
  
(What's her name?) I can't tell you!  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha cleared his throat and went up to the microphone again. "Years went by. For a while, the children grew distant. They didn't really know each other for a while. It was sad really. By a twist of fate, friends were able ot give them a nudge in the right direction, and set things right. Things took a turn for the better. Everyone was happy! Life was good! They were in love. It felt like the whole world was right when the couples were together.  
  
"What's more, the two boys had made a new friend earlier and they had created a band to show the world what they were made of. With their first performance, and the women they loved by their side, they felt invincible! It was time to kick ass!" With the beginning of the next song, the lightshow was mainly just spotlights and roving beams of primary colors.  
  
~*~  
  
Back in black  
  
I hit the sack  
  
I bet you know I'm glad to be back   
  
Yes, I'm let loose  
  
From the noose  
  
That's kept me hanging about  
  
I've been looking at the sky  
  
'Cause it's gettin' me high  
  
Forget the hearse 'cause I never die  
  
I got nine lives  
  
Cat's eyes  
  
Abusin' every one of them and running wild  
  
~*~  
  
'Cause I'm back!  
  
Yes, I'm back!  
  
Well, I'm back!  
  
Yes, I'm back!  
  
Well, I'm back, back  
  
Back in black!  
  
Yes, I'm back in black! Ow!  
  
~*~  
  
Back in the back  
  
Of a Cadillac  
  
Number one with a bullet, I'm a power pack  
  
Yes, I'm in a bang  
  
Moving with a gang  
  
They've got to catch me if they want me to hang  
  
Cause I'm back on the track  
  
And I'm beatin' the flack  
  
Nobody's gonna get me on another rap  
  
So look at me now  
  
I'm just makin' my play  
  
Don't try to push your luck, just get out of my way  
  
~*~  
  
'Cause I'm back!  
  
Yes, I'm back!  
  
Well, I'm back!  
  
Yes, I'm back!  
  
Well, I'm back, back  
  
Back in black!  
  
Yes, I'm back in black!  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome bit her lip as the solo came in. This was so like Inuyasha, the rebel. Her adorable little rebel. No! No, she couldn't be thinking that. No matter what, she had to stay away. Koga had them all cornered. He had the police dancing on strings, for God's sake!  
  
Kagome looked behind her to see if Kikyo and Sesshoumaru had left the exits unguarded. Sort of. They were now standing together equidistant from the exits, each one keeping one eye on Kagome and the other on the stage. Sesshoumaru had started rocking his body to the music and Kikyo soon joined in, the two grinding their hips against one another.  
  
Okay, that tore it. Kagome turned back around to watch the concert. As heartbreaking as it was to be so clsoe to Inuyasha and know she couldn't have him, at least it wasn't mentally traumatizing like seeing your older sister getting turned on.  
  
~*~  
  
Well, I'm back, Yes I'm back!  
  
Well, I'm back, Yes I'm back!  
  
Well, I'm back, back!  
  
Well I'm back in black!  
  
Yes I'm back in black!  
  
~*~  
  
Hooo yeah!  
  
Ohh yeah!  
  
Yes I am!  
  
Oooh yeah, yeah Oh yeah!  
  
Back in now!  
  
Well I'm back! (I'm back)  
  
Back! (I'm back)  
  
Back! (I'm back)  
  
Back! (I'm back)  
  
Back! (I'm back)  
  
Back!  
  
Back in black!  
  
Yes I'm back in black!  
  
~*~  
  
Out of the sight!  
  
~*~  
  
When the song finished, Inuyasha was looking pretty smug. "But that wasn't the least of it! After their first concert, the band's popularity immediately skyrocketed. They were a hit!" The lights went to a pale green with roving white lights. "They were finally being seen! Their dream was that much closer! They would have their success. They would prove to the world who they were. But they refused to let fame change who they were. Too many people had popularity but they let it gut their minds and personalities. No caged birds would these boys be!"  
  
With that, Inuyasha removed his double-neck guitar, swapping it for a Stratocaster he had behind the amps. After a quick chord to test, they began their next song.  
  
~*~  
  
Living on a lighted stage  
  
Approaches the unreal  
  
For those who think and feel  
  
In touch with some reality  
  
Beyond the gilded cage.  
  
~*~  
  
Cast in this unlikely role  
  
Ill-equipped to act  
  
With insufficient tact  
  
One must put up barriers  
  
To keep oneself intact.  
  
~*~  
  
Living in the limelight  
  
The universal dream  
  
For those who wish to seem.  
  
Those who wish to be  
  
Must put aside the alienation,  
  
Get on with the fascination,  
  
The real relation,  
  
The underlying theme.  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome could see why this song would be so important to him. Anonymity wasn't an easy thing to deal with, but fame could be almost as bad if you weren't careful. She'd been there already, and she didn't want to go back.  
  
~*~  
  
Living in a fisheye lens,  
  
Caught in the camera eye.  
  
I have no heart to lie  
  
I can't pretend a stranger  
  
Is a long-awaited friend.  
  
~*~  
  
All the world's indeed a stage  
  
And we are merely players:  
  
Performers and portrayers,  
  
Each another's audience  
  
Outside the gilded cage.  
  
~*~  
  
Living in the limelight  
  
The universal dream  
  
For those who wish to seem.  
  
Those who wish to be  
  
Must put aside the alienation,  
  
Get on with the fascination,  
  
The real relation,  
  
The underlying theme.  
  
~*~  
  
When the solo came in, Kagome then saw just why Inuyasha wanted to switch guitars. He needed the whammy bar. He played beautifully, though. Why was he torturing both himself and her like this, though? They couldn't be together. Not with Koga around. Well... maybe... no, no. It wouldn't work.  
  
~*~  
  
Living in the limelight  
  
The universal dream  
  
For those who wish to seem.  
  
Those who wish to be  
  
Must put aside the alienation,  
  
Get on with the fascination,  
  
The real relation,  
  
The underlying theme.  
  
The real relation,  
  
The underlying theme!  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha raked a hand back through his hair with a smile when the song closed and he switched back to his double-neck. "Yeah, things were looking pretty good. But nothing's ever easy. One man hated the dog boy. He wanted the girl who had sided with our hero for himself. So he set up an accident, and piece by piece destroyed the lives of those who had crossed him.  
  
"He had the power and connections to get away with it, too. Corruption, greed, apathy. All darker sides of humanity that the jealous boy knew how to manipulate. He knew that no matter where you go, there's always a shadow in people's hearts, and if you know the right strongs to pull, you can be the puppeteer." With that, he launched into the intense opening of Alien Nation. The lightshow kicked in, with flashing red lights like on an ambulance or police car.  
  
~*~  
  
In the heat of the violence  
  
The night's exploding everywhere  
  
When hate pulls the trigger  
  
The devil comes to take his share  
  
In the garden of Eden  
  
The time is running out so fast  
  
Into heart of the demon  
  
With no escape our die is cast  
  
~*~  
  
This song was a lot heavier than what they had been playing before. Almost punishing. It suited the situation well enough, though Kagome wasn't sure that was a good thing, all things considered.  
  
~*~  
  
In the city of angels  
  
Death is just a moment away  
  
In the city of angels  
  
Your future won't see the light of the day  
  
~*~  
  
Beware of the alien nation  
  
Beware of the truth that they seek  
  
They pray for eternal salvation  
  
They pray for your soul to keep  
  
~*~  
  
On the eve of destruction  
  
A reign of terror rules the street  
  
When the heads start rolling  
  
The devil comes to let it bleed  
  
~*~  
  
In the city of angels  
  
Death is just a moment away  
  
In the city of angels  
  
Your future won't see the light of the day  
  
~*~  
  
Walk on past the alien nation  
  
Walk on to the end of your reach  
  
No fear of the alien nation  
  
No fear of the hatred they preach  
  
~*~  
  
For the interlude, Narakua leaned in toward the microphone mounted on his keyboard and spoke the lines in his most menacing voice, sending chills throughout the bones of everyone present. A spotlight focused on him the whole time.  
  
~*~  
  
Don't run, there's no place to hide   
  
Today or tomorrow it will get you  
  
Don't move, the knife is right at your throat  
  
And whatever you do, there's no way out  
  
When the shroud comes down on this place  
  
To bury us all alive  
  
We'll know the time has come, to face the heat   
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha tore into a searing guitar solo, the lights above bathing the stage in red.  
  
~*~  
  
Beware of the alien nation  
  
Beware of the truth that they seek  
  
They pray for eternal salvation  
  
They pray for your soul to keep  
  
Walk on past the alien nation  
  
Walk on to the end of your reach  
  
They pray for eternal damnation  
  
They pray for your soul to keep  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha heaved a sigh and looked back to Kagome. "Yeah, it seemed like a fool-proof plan. The situation was pretty bleak. Dogs don't give up easily, though. Even though the dog boy thought that the break up had been his fault, he wasn't going to quit. He had just to let the girl he loved know how he felt.  
  
As the light immersed the stage in pale blue light, the group started up another angsty song.  
  
~*~  
  
How does it feel babe  
  
To taste sweet revenge?  
  
Do you want me on my knees?  
  
How does it feel babe  
  
To let me feel your strength?  
  
Don't be cruel, can't you see?  
  
If you don't catch me now  
  
I can't stop falling down  
  
Just one more night and the devil's got my soul  
  
I need your love babe, don't tell me "no way"  
  
Babe I miss you so much more than words can say  
  
~*~  
  
This reminded Kagome unpleasantly of the e-mail Inuyasha had sent her with that video of him singing brokenhearted. At least now she knew he wasn't blaming himself.  
  
~*~  
  
How does it feel babe  
  
To kill our destiny?  
  
I swear I'm not gonna crawl, oh no  
  
How does it feel babe  
  
To make a fool out of me?  
  
How can you be so cold? Be so cold!  
  
If you don't catch me now  
  
I can't stop falling down  
  
Just one more night and the devil's got my soul  
  
I need your love babe, don't treat me this way  
  
Ooh I miss you, I miss you  
  
~*~  
  
Baby our love's got what it takes  
  
To give us one more chance to start once again  
  
Baby our love will find a way  
  
As long as we believe in love  
  
~*~  
  
Well... that was a little more uplifting. Kagome really began to believe she could fight back. But even though her heart was telling her to believe, her mind wouldn't. Her mind knew all too well that Koga had all the angles covered. What could they do?  
  
Although... Kagome did realize now that as heartbreaking as this was, she did owe it to Inuyasha to at least let him do this.  
  
~*~  
  
If you don't catch me now  
  
I can't stop falling down  
  
Just one more night and the devil's got my soul  
  
I need your love babe, don't treat me this way  
  
Ooh I miss you, I miss you  
  
~*~  
  
Baby our love's got what it takes  
  
To give us one more chance to start once again  
  
Baby our love will find a way  
  
As long as we believe in love  
  
As long as wel believe... (We believe!)  
  
~*~  
  
Baby our love's got what it takes  
  
To give us one more chance to start once again  
  
Baby our love will find a way  
  
As long as we believe in love  
  
~*~  
  
Baby our love's got what it takes  
  
To give us one more chance to start once again  
  
Baby our love will find a way  
  
As long as we believe in love  
  
~*~  
  
Baby our love's got what it takes  
  
To give us one more chance to start once again  
  
Baby our love will find a way  
  
As long as we believe in love  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha smiled down at Kagome at the end of the song. "Truth be told, this was the sentiment of two of the other boys. The jealous rival had forced the loves of their lives to turn away as well. What a bastard, huh?  
  
"But what he didn't realize was that one of the boys had a dark secret. When he learned about the bastard's plan, he knew he had the knowledge to stop him once and for all. His friends formulated a plan. They had to get the girls out, first. They tricked the girl who the bastard had started this whole thing over into coming to a deserted theater one night. And there the dog boy and his friends gave their all in one concert to show her there was still hope."  
  
The look on Kagome's face was perfect! Inuyasha was feeling very proud and a little smug right about then. It was working. She had hope again. There was life in her eye once more as opposed to the hollow bleakness that had been there when she first stepped in.  
  
Inuyasha slowly back up and removed his guitar, setting aside on its stand and returned to the microphone. He pointed up toward the director's booth as Shippo, Miroku, and Naraku stepped off the stage, the latter heading for their girlfriends.  
  
Inuyasha saw Kirara's shadow in the booth give him a thumbs up as the lights showered the stage in a dazzling cascade of golds, and reds, and blues, and greens, and purples. He was really impressed that she had managed to set this all up in a week. Calling in a few favors from some of Miroku's friends in the theater world helped too, but...  
  
"And now, the dog boy... me... has only one more song to sing tonight. An old favorite of mine. I was saving it for a special occassion, but I think this counts." Inuyasha took the microphone from its stand as the synth-string section of one of Led Zeppelin's classics started up.  
  
~*~  
  
Should I fall out of love, my fire in the light   
  
To chase a feather in the wind?   
  
Within the glow that weaves a cloak of delight   
  
There moves a thread that has no end.   
  
~*~  
  
For many hours and days that pass ever soon   
  
The tides have caused the flame to dim   
  
At last the arm is straight, the hand to the loom   
  
Is this to end or just begin?   
  
~*~  
  
All of my love, all of my love, oh all of my love to you now  
  
All of my love, all of my love, oh all of my love to you now  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome felt her heart skip a beat. The way Inuyasha looked at her as he sang. She could practically feel herself melting. Those eyes... he was pouring out his heart to prove to her how much he loved her. He embellished every lyric with a gesture or movement, seeming to give them even more strength.  
  
~*~  
  
The cup is raised, the toast is made yet again  
  
One voice is clear above the din  
  
Proud Aryan one word my will to sustain  
  
For me the cloth once more to spin  
  
~*~  
  
Oh, all of my love, all of my love, oh all of my love for you now  
  
All of my love, all of my love, yes all of my love to you child  
  
~*~  
  
The interlude came and Inuyasha set the microphone back in its stand and walked to the edge of the stage. He knneled and held out his hand to Kagome. She felt like she was in a dream. All she could do was stand, take his hand, and be pulled onto the stage.  
  
Still holding her hand and putting one arm around her waist, Inuyasha began leading her in a slow dance. Oh God, why couldn't tonight last forever? If Koga ever found out about this...  
  
When Inuyasha dipped her and smiled, all Kagome could think was 'Koga who?' This is where she belonged: with friends, family, and the love of her life.  
  
******************************  
  
Miroku watched with his arm around Sango's waist, a gentle smile on his face. Inuyasha was right. He loved Kagome and she loved him back. They would get through this. As corny as it sounded, love did seem to conquer all.  
  
"That's so beautiful," Sango said dreamily.  
  
"I might be able to pull a few strings and gives us a special moment like this on your birthday," Miroku said off-handedly. "Of course, I can't guarantee that either of us will still be vertical before the song ends. If you catch my drift."  
  
Sango playfully slapped his chest and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You're such an idiot. But you're my idiot."  
  
******************************  
  
Kikyo leaned back further against Sesshoumaru. It looked as if things were finally working out. "It seems Inuyasha is starting ot take after you, lover," she remarked.  
  
"Oh really?" Sesshoumaru asked, tightening his arms around her waist. "In what way? The dancing lessons I gave him, or in being romantic?" With that he placed a few feather-light kisses on her neck.  
  
Giggling softly, Kikyo turned her head up press her lips to his. "Both." Turning around in his embrace, the two began their own slow dance, no longer seeing any need to guard the exits.  
  
******************************  
  
As the interlude drew to a close, Inuyasha slowly stepped away from Kagome, never once taking his eyes off her and retrieved his microphone.  
  
~*~  
  
Yours is the cloth, mine is the hand that sows time  
  
His is the force that lies within  
  
Ours is the fire and all the warmth we can find  
  
He is a feather in the wind  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome knew it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what personal meaning Inuyasha was putting to those lyrics. He was only restating what she now knew. They had each other, that was the most important thing. To hell with Koga. They would beat him somehow. They just had to stay together.  
  
~*~  
  
Oh all of my love, all of my love, of all of my love to you now  
  
All of my love, ooh yes all of my love to you now  
  
All of my love, all of my love, all of my lo-ove! Lo-ove!  
  
~*~  
  
As Inuyasha sang he took Kagome's hands in one of his and looked deeply into her eyes.  
  
~*~  
  
Sometimes, sometimes, ooh  
  
Sometimes, sometimes, ooh  
  
Hey, hey, hey, hey  
  
Hey, hey, hey!  
  
Ooh yeah!  
  
~*~  
  
As he began the final lyrics, Inuyasha dropped down to one knee, pulling Kagome with him and pressing her hands to his chest, letting her feel his heart beating.  
  
~*~  
  
It's all, all, all, all of my love, all of my love, all of my love to you now!  
  
All of my love, all of my love, all of my love to... to you, you, you, yeah!  
  
I get a little bit lonely  
  
Just stay, just stay  
  
Just stay, I'm a little bit lonely  
  
Just a little bit lonely  
  
~*~  
  
"Kagome..." Inuyasha began, tears in his eyes, "I love you. I always will. I want to spend my life with you. I want to raise a family with you. Please tell me you'll be mine."  
  
Kagome threw herself into Inuyasha's embrace, holding onto him as tightly as she could. "Of course I will," she sobbed in happiness. "As long as you'll be mine."  
  
"Always." For the first time in a long time, Inuyasha felt peace inside. He felt whole.  
  
The moment was abruptly shattered when an all too familiar voice barked out through the theater. "You filthy son of a bitch!"  
  
Inuyasha bolted upright and turned to see Koga holding a Glock out and looking livid. "I went to your house Kagome when you didn't return my e-mail. Imagine my surprise when I.., let myself in to find the house empty. And a message I never sent on your computer."  
  
Sessh and Kikyo were standing to the side, the Morimoto son of course trying to be his royal self and nobly defend Kikyo by putting himself in front, an action she seemed a little less than pleased by but wasn't really in a position to argue.  
  
"I should have killed you when I had the chance. Hiten and Manten ballsed up. I should have done this myself a long time ago." Koga continued his rant as he made his way toward the stage, his gun trained on Inuyasha.  
  
"So you're just going to gun me down in front of everybody? Sounds kind of sloppy. Not very fair either." Inuyasha had to stall for time. He needed a plan.  
  
"Please," Koga scoffed. "If I fought fair, I wouldn't be alive today. Besides, I have this town in my pocket. I can do whatever I want."  
  
"You overestimate yourself," Naraku remarked from the side, shielding Yura behind him. "Not every cop is corrupt. And people aren't blind. You shoot Inuyasha... hell, any one of us, and it all comes crashing down around you."  
  
"You can shut up now," Koga said with a sneer. Before I pull this trigger, I want to know which one of you bitches broke the deal. Huh? Talk!"  
  
*****************************  
  
Sango saw that Yura was about to step forward and confess, but that wasn't about to happen. She stepped forward quickly and said boldly, "I did!"  
  
All eyes were on Sango and she realized she was going to have to do some really fast thinking. Which was inconvenient because she preffered to rely on instinct, action without thought. It was something she always believed being brought up in martial arts.  
  
Koga edged his way toward Sango. When he felt he had sufficient ground on Inuyasha, he turned his pistol on her. "You bitch. When you make a promise, you keep it! You and Yura gave me your word. You don't break your word!"  
  
Sango had to admit, she admired that ideal in him. Too bad he was still psycho. "I don't make promises to slime."  
  
Koga snarled and Sango saw an opening at last. He was getting pissed you can't afford to do that in a fight with someone like her. She threw a strong inside crescent kick that connected with Koga's right hand and the gun, knocking it out of his grasp. The pistol went skidding across the floor and Sango took advantage of Koga's brief shock to knock him back with a palm heel strike to the chest.  
  
She sprang back in time to see Inuyasha take up a sighting stance, ready to attack as Koga whipped out a switchblade from his jacket pocket. He was getting ready to lunge.  
  
Sango caught movement out of the corner of her eye and held her hand out when she heard Mirokju shout, "Catch!" She found herself holding his Steinberger bass. Was she supposed to fight with this? Sure the wierd little box of a body made a good club, and the lack of a head stock made it easy to hold, but still!  
  
Ah, no time to think of that! Koga lunged in with an underhand strike at Sango. She sidestepped quickly and brought the bass up in a move micking an upward slash with a katana, planting the body of the instrument squarely in Koga's stomach. Wow, this thing did make a good weapon!  
  
Sango nimbly leaped away to prepare for another attack When she saw the blur of silver and red that was Inuyasha.  
  
*****************************  
  
Inuyasha couldn't stand it any longer. Koga had tried to ruin their lives! Enough was enough! Now he was trying to kill them!  
  
As soon as Sango jumped away from her last attack, Inuyasha dashed toward his rival with all the speed he could muster. He tackled Koga from behind, grabbing hold of his knife hand and breaking it one swift twist. Koga howled in pain, but he wasn't through yet.  
  
With his free hand, Inuyasha proceeded to deliver one devastating punch after another to Koga's back, never striking in the same place twice. "Bastard! I should kill you!"  
  
Flipping him over, Inuyasha dropped a knee strike into Koga's already abused stomach. At the loud wheeze the Kobe son gave, Inuyasha wrapped his hands around his throat and lifted him up off the ground by his neck. "You son of a bitch! I should kill you! But dying's too good for you!"  
  
Inuyasha felt a haze of blood and fury wash over his mind. He had never been this angry in his life. He had something genuinely worth living for, and this... this... thing tried ot take it from him! He would pay!  
  
It was then that he heard a voice like a rush of pure arctic water washing over the flames in his head and his chest. "Inuyasha!" Kagome raced up to him with tears in her eyes. "Please don't!"  
  
Did he just hear right? "Kagome," he growled out in a voice he barely recognized as his own.  
  
"Please, Inuyasha," she sobbed. "No more fighting. He may deserve it all... But I can't stand watching you hurt someone... Even him."  
  
Inuyasha saw himself reflected in her stormy grey-blue eyes. He saw his own eyes burning in fury like two pools of molten gold. With a supreme effort of will, he tossed Koga away, his choking and gasping he was only beginning to hear.  
  
Kagome immediately latched onto him, sobbing onto his chest. Inuyasha returned her embrace, still feeling as if fire was running through his veins.  
  
"Look out!" he heard Yura scream.  
  
Inuyasha looked over just in time to see Koga shakily rising up with the Python back in hand. Dammit! They forgot to get the fucking gun! He was about to make a lunge at him, when one of the light tracks dropped from above and bashed Koga on the head, knocking him out.  
  
"Um..." Kirara's voice drifted down with an almost guilty tone. "... Heads," she said flatly.  
  
Sighing in relief, Inuyasha decided it was best to make the most of the moment. He pressed Kagome against him, tilted her head up, and kissed her passionately. As she kissed him back, he knew she was feeling the same thing as him. Fire and water ran through their bodies at once. He smiled as he lifted Kagome up bridal style and deepened the kiss, lightning running up and down his spine. The nightmare was over, but the story wasn't.  
  
Author's Notes: Almost finished! The final chapter will be coming soon. Sometime in January, maybe.  
  
At the end of the final chapter, I'll give shout-outs to a bunch of my reviewers to express my grattitude for all your feedback. The most nerve-wracking thing in the world is having someone read something that you wrote. The most rewarding thing is when they like it and tell you so.  
  
I know I'm surprisingly tight-lipped as of late. Fact is, most of the stuff I have to talk about requires large debates in person or involves the grinding minutiae of my life. But hey, you're hear for a story, not my whining, right?  
  
Anyway, Merry Christmas again. And to cover anyone else, a resounding, multi-national Happy Holidays. Oh, and for the devout atheists: Have a nice day and here's to hoping 2004 doesn't suck like 2003 did. 


	25. Flame Burning Brighter With Every Day

Author's Notes: Well, it's been a long time, but I'm back at last. Seven months. Damn. I'm sorry for taking so long, but I've been having the busiest six months of my life. I've gotten put on academic probation and taken off it in one semester, discovered that in addition to writing I want to be a director in film, gotten canned, gotten an offer to join a group called the Midnight Society (I'm dead serious), gotten addicted to City of Heroes, lost more crushes in three months than I have in all my previous years(pathetic isn't it?), started writing my own screenplays and music, and expanded my horizons in music and literature.  
  
Contrary to what I said before, this will not be the last chapter. I had an idea for this chapter, but I decided to pitch it. This one will be devoted to some much-needed introspect from the characters, with musical accompaniment. It will give some closure that I felt would be important. The next chapter will be a rather interesting epilogue. Whether or not you guys like this new set up remains to be seen. I've reached a point where I'm really just sort of screwing around with my writing to see where it takes me. And I'll tell you, there are moments in the last chapter that I just hate, hate, HATED looking back.  
  
In the process, I hope to turn some of you on to a few bands that I should have paid more attention to earlier in the story, as they were a better fit some of the time. Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this just ot promote a few bands. But the music therein is so tightly gelled with the characterization I wanted to write here that I thought it would be a crime to leave it out.  
  
Here we go...  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 24- Flame Burning Brighter With Every Day  
  
Inuyasha made one last sound check for the encore at Cult Classics. The gigging the band was doing allowed them to expand their equipment list a little. As much as he loved his double-neck Inuyasha had decided to play tonight with a humble SG. Miroku was still loving his Steinberger bass, and Shippo's drum set now seemed to threaten to engulf him. Things had really gotten interesting this last year. It was June of 2004, and the band had their first album out on an indie label. Naraku was playing on and off with them now, and it seemed he may become a permanent member as well as their manager.  
  
"Alright everybody," Inuyasha said into the microphone, "we have a list of a few covers we wanted to do tonight before playing Otherworld one more time. Those of you who have been listening to our new material know that our sound's really evolving. We're taking in more influences and I believe Damage Control is finally moving forward into a great new direction." This was met with wild cheers from the audience. "Yeah, that's what I like to hear! We're going to start off with a number from German metalheads, Blind Guardian. It's called The Soulforged. We hope you like it."  
  
The music started off with Naraku's synthesizer recreating the down-tuned distorted opening riffs of the rhythm guitar before the rest of the band joined in to create a rich, complicated sound with each member adding their vocals to the lyrics at just the right moments.  
  
-----------------------------------------  


I'm not insane  


(That's how it seems though)  


Spiteful cruel but wise  


Beyond his age  


My body fails  


My soul will rise  


  


(The end of life's immortalized) disease and agony  


And I see death through golden eyes  


Beyond the door  


There's something more  


It seems there's just one way  


  


On through the heat  


I've felt the touch of evil  


I still feel the icy claw in me  


  


For a decent price  


I've banned kindness from my heart  


The spirit of all truth and beauty  


Pawned for my desire!  


-----------------------------------------  
  


Inuyasha, being an existentialist himself, really connected with these lyrics. There was no real meaning of life. Yes, it was all just there. No rhyme, no reason.  
  
-----------------------------------------  


And from the flames  


As chance would have it  


The soulforged will come into light!  


And from the flames as chance would have it  


The soulforged,  


The stainless will rise!  


  


I will never change my mind  


I will leave it all behind!  
-----------------------------------------  


  
Yup. There was no real meaning of life. You couldn't count on divinity for jack. It probably didn't even exist.  
  
There was only one meaning in life: the meaning that you made for yourself.  
  
-----------------------------------------  


And through the hour glass  


Everything's grey  


Everyone's pale  


No colour nor beauty will enlighten my heart  


The seat of life's empty and cold  


Cadaverous you all seem to me  


Stillborn but you're still alive  


You're still alive  


  


Truth lies in loneliness  


When hope is long gone by  


I'll wipe out the bliss of the new age  


And welcome you precious night  


  


And from the flames  


As chance would have it  


The soulforged will come into light!  


And from the flames as chance would have it  


The soulforged,  


The stainless will rise  
-----------------------------------------  


  
This was the best part of the song coming up. Coming out of the bleak visions to see that you had to fight. No one was going to do it for you. In one verse, the song gave you hope no matter how depressed you may have been feeling.  
  
It was Inuyasha to a T. Life's a bitch and then you die. Well Inuyasha was going to make life his bitch.  
  
-----------------------------------------  


From a distant time  


Voices echo in the hall  


"Come and join us  


Enter life and everything is gone now"  


  


And through the looking glass  


I still fear mortality and its loss in the end  


Unlimited power in my hands!  


The claw of the dragon ascends!  


("Mourn for his lost soul  


He's cursed and condemned")  


  


(Each step I take)  


(May it hurt) may it ache  


Leads me further  


Away from the past  


But as long as I breathe  


Each smile in my bleak face  


I'm on my way to find  


Back to the peace of mind  
-----------------------------------------  


  
As the band struck up the final chorus, the marching beat and majestic lyrics and melody were enough to bring one to tears. This is what music was all about. Whether it was a set of words and some notes that sounded fun, or a complex construction of melody, rhythm, and heartfelt lyrics, music was supposed to inspire something in you. That's exactly what Inuyasha knew he was put on this earth for.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
And from the flames  
As chance would have it  
the soulforged will come into light!  
And from the flames as chance would have it  
The soulforged,  
The stainless will rise!  
  
I will never change my mind  
I will leave it all behind!  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Through the triumphant closing into the last fading notes, Inuyasha felt so alive with music like this. He one day hoped to be able to move people with his own music the way these bands could do for him.  
  
"Thank you! Thank you everybody!" Inuyasha wiped the sweat from his brow. They had been playing through not only their first album, but several of their newer songs as well with a couple covers and requests thrown in for two hours. That's taxing no matter who you are. "Our next song is a little different. Not as intense, but still fun. Our last song was my pick, but this one is Naraku's. Man's a Judas Priest junkie."  
  
"Hey, Priest is never wrong!" Naraku shot back. "Besides, I look damn good in leather," he added, straightening the lapels on his biker jacket.  
  
"You look even better out of it!" Yura shouted from the front of the crowd, drawing a lot of laughter from everyone else. As she laughed with them, she deliberately started jumping up and down excitedly, and intentionally creating a very noticeable and enticing movement just below the shoulders.  
  
"Babe, we can't finish the show if you keep teasing me like that."  
  
"Hit the showers when we're done, Romeo," Shippo chimed in. "And yes, the double entendre was deliberate. Let's just do this!"  
  
"Alright! One, two, three, four!"  
  
The familiar driving opening and riffs started up, which a lot of the crowd recognized and quickly appreciated.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
One life I'm gonna live it up  
I'm takin' flight I said I'll never get enough  
Stand tall I'm young and kinda proud  
I'm on top as long as the music's loud  
  
If you think I'll sit around as the world goes by  
You're thinkin' like a fool cause it's a case of do or die  
Out there is a fortune waitin' to be had  
You think I'll let it go you're mad  
You've got another thing comin'  
You've got another thing comin'  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Naraku still couldn't believe it had taken so long for this song to sink in. He'd been listening to it for years. Of course, a lot of people also expected him to be a fan of Celtic Frost or Cannibal Corpse. If they even knew what those bands were.  
  
Mister Gothboy. Mister Nihilist. Mister Film Critic Wannabe. And he listens to none depressing music. That was probably what helped keep him going. His mother and father never really seemed to care. When Naraku started messing with that old piano in the dining room that his grandparents had bequeathed to their children, neither his mother or father bothered to notice.  
  
A part of Naraku did regret having grown up the way he did. Few friends. Very little fun. It was mostly just a neverending quest to escape reality through music and film. Then again, it did help make him who he was.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
That's right here's where the talkin' ends  
Well listen this night there'll be some action spent  
Drive hard I'm callin' all the shots  
I got an ace card comin' down on the rocks  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Yeah. That's exactly where Naraku wanted to be. In control. Control of his own life. He was always rebelling. Fuck doing things other people's way. The only set of rules worth playing by in life was your own.  
  
When Naraku looked over into the audience, he saw Yura up front banging her head and holding up the heavy metal handsign. He loved that about her. She thought the same way he did. She would only live life on her own terms. And there was no other option. Even when they had first met, those little flirtatious games they were playing. There were no rules, because they both kept changing them to give themselves the upper hand.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
If you think I'll sit around while you chip away my brain  
Listen I ain't foolin' and you'd better think again  
Out there is a fortune waitin' to be had  
You think I'll let it go you're mad  
You got another thing comin  
You got another thing comin  
You got another thing comin  
  
In this world we're livin' in we have our share of sorrow  
Answer now is don't give in aim for a new tomorrow!  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Inuyasha was much better at this emotional stuff. Naraku just liked to be the quiet passive-agressive type.  
  
As the band's guitarrist tore through the solo, though, Naraku couldn't help but think that maybe he needed to be a little overtly assertive...  
  
Nah!  
  
-----------------------------------------  
Oh so hot no time to take a rest yeah  
Act tough ain't room for second best  
Real strong got me some security  
Hey I'm a big smash I'm goin' for infinity yeah  
  
If you think I'll sit around as the world goes by  
You're thinkin' like a fool cause it's a case of do or die  
Out there is a fortune waitin' to be had  
You think I'll let it go you're mad  
You've got another thing comin'  
You've got another thing comin'  
You've got another thing comin'  
You've got another thing... ah!  
Hallelujah!!  
You've got another thing comin'  
Hey, yeah!  
It's a'comin' on  
Oh, oh!  
(You've got another thing comin')  
It's a'comin' on  
You've got another thing comin'  
Oh!  
You've got another thing comin'  
Do your best, let's go!  
Oh yeah, oh yeah  
(You've got another thing comin')  
It's comin', It's a'comin', comin'on  
Gotta feel it, you gotta feel it  
(You've got another thing comin')  
It's comin' on, comin' now, comin' on now  
(You've got another thing comin')  
-----------------------------------------  
  
"Whoo!" Inuyasha strummed a few lightning fast scratches before hitting a power chord. "I don't know about any of you out there, but songs like that really charge me, you know?  
  
"Our next song is actually a dedication from Miroku. I'll let you take it, buddy."  
  
Miroku gave Inuyasha a quick, lazy salute with his gloved hand. He was still wearing the trademark coat/beads/glove combo that had become his trademark look. "Well, ladies and gentlemen... and I use that latter term loosely..." he quipped which was met with a lot of macho whooping and faked booing. "I recently returned from a trip to Japan, which is why you haven't seen us around much lately. I did feel a little homesick while I was gone. But I also really missed my girlfriend. I'm sure you all know how that is, right?" Shouts of approval and aggreeance erupted from the crowd. Miroku glanced down to see Sango amongst them grinning coyly.  
  
"So, our next number tonight is a Blue Oyster Cult classic and I just wanted to be a romantic old sap and dedicate this song to her."  
  
"Admit it," Shippo teased from behind his behemoth drum set, "you just want to get laid."  
  
"Guilty as charged," Miroku admitted. "Now play the damn song."  
  
-----------------------------------------  
Maybe I'll see you again baby  
And maybe I won't  
Maybe you've bought your ticket  
Gone back to Detroit  
Airplanes make strangers of us all  
Give us distance  
Much too easily.  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Miroku had chosen to sing this one himself with the rest of the band providing a nice harmony. Though it was a much softer song than most of the stuff they had been playing tonight, Miroku just felt that the band needed to give everyone a chance to mellow out for a minute.  
  
And there was definately some wisdom in these lyrics. It never ceased to amaze Miroku how music could communicate things so well. It had always been there to inspire him and teach him.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
Jim says some destinies  
Should not be delivered  
But you and I seen now baby  
That still they are  
Winning it makes losers of us all  
'Cause the dice roll  
So indifferently  
  
Well, I'll wrap myself in cities I travel  
I'll wrap myself in dreams  
I'll wrap myself in solitude  
But I wish I could wrap myself  
In thee  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Wasn't it the truth? Miroku and Sango were certainly an odd couple. Many people wondered if they would ever make it. Of course, as far as the two of them were concerned, anyone who disagreed needed to pull the stick out of their ass.  
  
They still had a long life ahead of them. Grab it by the short and curlies and just live it. In a way, this song was very much Miroku. He always saw himself as sort of like water, flowing easily and able to take any shape. He was easy-going and adapted to whatever came his way by surrounding it and crashing down.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
Tonight it's hot  
Without you tomorrow be cold  
Winter will come along  
Driven by snow  
Love, it makes strangers of us all  
When we fall  
Oh, so thoughtlessly  
  
Well I'll wrap myself in cities I travel  
I'll wrap myself in dreams  
I'll wrap myself in solitude  
But I wish I could wrap myself  
In thee  
-----------------------------------------  
  
People just needed to be more introspective. Not only was this a touching song about one's feelings for another, it told you that life isn't always what we want it to be. And when you get right down to it, all you really need to know is the rules. From there, you've got it made.  
  
Miroku had a feeling that Sango saw it in those lyrics too. They both knew, hell they had both experienced personally, that chance doesn't care who you are. Good things and bad things happen. And they had both worked to fix the bad things that nearly tore them apart last year.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
Once we breathed the breath of sweet surrender  
Pure, pure arab air filled our atmosphere  
But pride it makes stars of us all  
Until we fall  
For everyone to see  
  
So I'll wrap myself in cities I travel  
I'll wrap myself in dreams  
I'll wrap myself in stranger's arms  
But I wish I could wrap myself  
In thee  
  
I'll wrap myself in cities I travel  
I'll wrap myself in dreams  
I'll wrap myself in solitude  
But I wish I could wrap myself  
In thee  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Miroku smiled softly as Inuyasha stepped back up to the microphone.  
  
"Our next song is an old Beatles classic, vocals courtesy of Shippo, whom we think is still alive somewhere behind that mountain of junk he calls a drumset."  
  
"Come here and say that to my face, dog," Shippo challenged from his drums.  
  
"I would if I could find it," Inuyasha shot back. Their bravado and sniping at each other was actually becoming integrated into their shows. The audience certainly seemed to enjoy it.  
  
Inuyasha just shook his head and switched off the overdrive on his amp. "Anyway, we give you Blackbird by The Beatles."  
  
-----------------------------------------  
Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these broken wings and learn to fly  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise  
  
Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see  
All your life   
You were only waiting for this moment to be free  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Shippo picked this song because it reminded him of Kirara and himself. Somehow, some way, they quietly sat in the background and kept everyone from chewing each other apart. Just by feigning a childlike innocence, they got people to understand the inherent foolishness of their own actions.  
  
He and Kirara were the kind of people who could take lead and give you gold just by being optimistic and happy. The group needed them as much as they needed the group. That's what would keep them all together through the years.  
  
Isn't synergy a wonderful thing?  
  
-----------------------------------------  
Blackbird fly  
Blackbird fly  
Into the light of the dark black night  
  
Blackbird fly  
Blackbird fly  
Into the light of the dark black night  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Kirara was thinking the same things as Shippo. Everyone had their counterpart, but each person in the group had their role. She saw Inuyasha as the one with the most drive and ambition. Miroku was the one who balanced Inuyasha with introspect and calmness. Sango spearheaded the group whenever they were challenged. She was always the first one to stand up for them all. Naraku was there to keep an eye on those who would try to step on his friends. Yura was deceptively sly and aided Naraku by getting places he couldn't. Kagome was the glue holding them all together when you got right down to it. And Kirara and Shippo were like the children of the family. They added an energy and "innocence" that just struck a chord with you.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these broken wings and learn to fly  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Inuyasha raked back his bangs and smiled lightly. "Okay we have one more cover to do before Otherworld. But after the song, you're going to listen to me babble for a second. Anyway, we learned to play this song because last month my girlfriend decided that this was her new favorite. It's called Eagleheart, and it's by Stratovarius. I changed the pronouns in the lyrics so that I can dedicate this to you, Kagome."  
  
Inuyasha stepped back and counted off quickly before the band launched into the energetic, soaring opening of the song. The driving drum and bass lines, the atmospheric keyboard, and the memorable guitar riff all combined to create a powerful, uplifting sound.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
All through the night she is lying awake  
Wond'ring how much more can she take  
Watching the walls where the shadows dance  
Drifting away into a trance  
And her eyes are blazing with fire!  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Trust Inuyasha to pull a stunt like this. Kagome was at once flattered and emberassed to be put on the spotlight like that. But it still did her heart good. She knew just why Inuyasha was doing this.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
Dreams burnt to ashes so many times  
Highest of mountains, still she climbs  
Ready to fly, cause she just can't stay  
Flame burning brighter with every day  
And her eyes are blazing with fire!  
Longing for the deepest desire!  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Though Kagome had never really thought of herself as that much of an influential person, and actually regretted letting herself slip into elitist attitudes a few years ago, she knew perfectly well that Inuyasha had changed those words to tell her the kind of effect she had on him.  
  
It seemed odd to think about. Kagome had always imagined that someone so inspirational to another person would feel... well, different. She imagined there would be some kind of strange feeling of enlightenment or something. Instead, she just felt a quiet satisfaction in having made a difference in the life of at least one person. And she still felt like Kagome, rather than some great, far-off heroine.  
  
Kind of funny actually. You spend your life looking at idols, heroes, and muses. Then when you become one to even a single person, as Inuyasha had repeatedly professed she was over the last few months, you don't feel like one. Life was full of surprises like that.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
Heart of an eagle  
She flies through the rainbow  
Into a new world and finds the sun  
Spreading her wings  
Above all the sorrows  
The glory of Eagleheart  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Inuyasha practically threw himself into the melodic solo, dropping down onto one knee and using a few jerks of his head to signal to Kagome that he wanted her to come up onto the stage.  
  
Typical over-the-top Inuyasha. Well, Kagome was hardly one to say "no" in this situation. It was a little awkward being on stage with the band members all up there going completely nuts over their music, but it was kind of fun.  
  
She was a little surprised when Inuyasha gave her a kiss on the cheek toward the end of the solo before returning to the microphone.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
Fever is burning in her veins  
Determined with courage, breaking the chains  
Back against the wall under blood red skies  
Prepared to fight until she dies  
And her eyes are blazing with fire!  
Longing for the deepest desire!  
  
Heart of an eagle  
She flies through the rainbow  
Into a new world and finds the sun  
Spreading her wings  
Above all the sorrows  
The glory of Eagleheart  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Kagome got more and more into the song as the awkwardness faded. When Inuyasha pointed to her with the neck of his guitar, she stood on her tip toes, trying to stretch her body as tall as she could, and spread her arms out like wings, laughing the whole time.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
Heart of an eagle  
She flies through the rainbow  
Into a new world and finds the sun  
Spreading her wings  
Above all the sorrows  
The glory of Eagleheart  
-----------------------------------------  
  
As the band went into the closing of the song, Sango, Kirara, and Yura made their way to the foot of the stage and started leading the crowd in loud whoops and cheers among chants of Kagome's name.  
  
It was a little emberassing, but it gave Kagome a warm feeling inside. She imagined it must have been a little like what they guys felt when the crowd applauded them.  
  
As the last note faded away, Inuyasha sighed, looking a little drained. "Eagleheart by Stratovarius, everybody. Now about that babbling part... The thing is we did this song for a reason other than getting Kagome up on stage."  
  
This was met with more loud whoops and a couple cat calls. The latter of which Inuyasha immediately was able to pick out the origin of and respond to with a pointed figure and a threat of "Don't make me come down there."  
  
"Anyway, I did that song because I just want you to know Kagome how much you mean to me. Before we got together, you know as well as I do that I was on a downward spiral. I was frustrated, angry, and a self-imposed introvert. You were always the crack in my armor. You were always able to affect me for better or worse.  
  
But... when we started going out... you changed everything for me." As Inuyasha spoke, his voice continually got more and more serious, causing the crowd to fall into an anxious silence. Kagome had a few ideas swimming around her head of where this was going and it was making her heart pound.  
  
"Kagome, I wouldn't be here right now without you. We both had our flaws, but you had something beautiful in you that prevailed and brought out the best in me." Inuyasha then pulled off his guitar and set it in a stand.  
  
Kagome gasped as he took her hands in his. "I love you. And that's why I need to know..." With that, he reached into one of the pockets in his cargo pants and dropped to one knee as he pulled out a tiny black box.  
  
Kagome's heart skipped a beat even before the lid opened to reveal a beautiful engagement ring and the question reached her ears. "Will you marry me?"  
  
Kagome threw herself into Inuyasha's arms, her heart feeling like it would burst out of her chest at any moment. "Do you even need to ask? Of course I will!"  
  
She was vaguely aware of the chants and cheers of the crowd. And saw from the corner of her eye that Sango, Yura, and Kirara were looking at the two of them with gushing emotion. But it was all just white noise now. She knew that this was where they belonged. Not just her and Inuyasha, but all of her friends as well. They belonged together.  
  
Author's Notes: And so we come close to the end of Let the Music Be Your Master. These songs reminded me very much of the characters, so I felt this would be good for winding things down.  
  
I hope to have the final chapter up within a week so long as I don't hit another block. Oh, hell! I hope I didn't just jinx it... 


	26. When I Hear You on the Car Radio You're

Author's Notes: Well, here's the last chapter. I wanted to present in an unusual format to make it memorable, and after screwing around with ideas, I think this one works the best. Rather than continue yakking, I'll save the rest of my rants for the notes at the end. You all want to see the epilogue.  
  
Let the Music Be Your Master  
  
Chapter 25- When I Hear You on the Car Radio You're Gonna Be a Sensation... Rock and Roll Band, Everybody's Waiting  
  
(Taken from the Official Damage Control Website)  
  
History  
  
"I have to dedicate a lot of my music to my family. Art is supposed to reflect life. Even though I really hate calling our music art because the word is just so fucking pretentious these days. Anyway, what I write is my life. My wife and kids are what really drive me to continue making music because they are my life."  
-Inuyasha Morimoto  
  
"Good music is just supposed to make you feel. It doesn't matter what. When I create music, I just want to be able to entertain our listeners by making something beautiful."  
-Miroku Watanabe  
  
"Music is just damn fun. It doesn't have to be smart or dumb. Just treat it like it's anything but a chore. When I play those drums, I don't just play htem. I beat the living piss out of them because you've got to force sound out of them, and they won't do it on their own, and it's starting to mock me. So I have fun kicking my drums' collective ass."  
-Shippo Matsumoto  
  
"I never really imagined I'd fall into this whole deal. I just enjoy playing music because it doesn't discriminate. It encourages you to have your own way. Only careers of creative expression let you have that."  
-Naraku Yanagisawa  
  
What started out as a hard rock power trio in Massachussetts slowly evolved into what is now believed to be among the most musically significant bands of all time. They have spent the past twenty-five years struggling with record labels, funding, and a market that more than once was not hospitable to their style. And yet they have persevered on through it all and given their fans volumes of unforgettable music.  
  
It all began in the summer of 2001 when two rebellious teenagers named Inuyasha Morimoto and Miroku Watanabe decided to join forces and play in a band of their own making. Both were already accomplished musicians but it would be a full year before they found drummer Shippo Matsumoto to provide an adequate rhythm section.  
  
Inuyasha was born into a wealthy family. His father was a successful businessman, but he took more after his mother who was a well-published novelist and songwriter who had made all of her submissions under a plethora of pennames. The young Morimoto boy was the youngest of two children, and displayed an early aptitude for music. It's hard to say how he might have developed over the years were if his mother hadn't tragically died of a brain tumor when Inuyasha was only 8 years old.  
  
Miroku, on the other hand was born into a comfortable middle-class family. He recieved his first guitar when he was 9 years old, but switched his focus to the bass guitar a few years later.  
  
Shippo was raised similarly to Miroku, and like his bandmates showed an early interest in music. Specifically, rhythm. Family members say that he used just about everything for percussion right from his infancy on.  
  
The trio got together by pure circumstance. Says Shippo, "I went into the music shop to test out some new equipment. There was a backroom where you could jam. Anyway, I set up a nice drumset in that room and started playing through some of my favorites. Manic Depression, Rock and Roll, I Shot the Sherriff, that kind of stuff. And Inuyasha and Miroku must have heard my playing from behind the door because I remember them walking in, scaring the living crap out of me in the process, and asking me to continue playing."  
  
Inuyasha and Miroku "enlisted" Shippo into the band that day. With a complete line-up, the band began writing their first set of music, wildly experimenting with a lot of their influences which ranged from heavy metal to classic rock, from progressive rock to reggae. The result was an eclectic collection of nine songs which the band continued trying to hone and perfect.  
  
Despite it, though, they still hadn't settled on a name. That was all to change in the spring of 2003. When the trio played an exhibition for three friends who would later become their wives at the Morimoto home, Sango Nanasawa suggested the name Damage Control which was immediately adopted.  
  
With a name at last, the trio began gigging to gain a following. It wasn't easy as the three of them had reputations in the town. Inuyasha was born with a rare genetic anomaly known as anthrozoomorphic protean syndrome, which caused his anatomy to manifest traits similar to a dog (such as his now famous golden eyes and triangular ears on the top of his head). Coupled with his violent temper, many considered him exceptionally dangerous. Miroku and Shippo also had a reputation as con artists that wasn't entirely undeserved. The have admitted many times to fast-talking, duping, and charming their way into getting what they wanted when they were young.  
  
However they persevered and in the spring of 2004 released their self-titled debut album. It recieved almost immediate attention on the indie music scene and even got some minor radioplay with singles such as Speed Demon and A Method to My Madness. The album also contained the concert staple Otherworld which was later remixed and rereleased on the band's ninth studio album.  
  
A year later, Inuyasha married Kagome, his high school sweetheart, and the band released their second album titled Nobody's Fool. The sales were even better on this than the previous album and allowed for much more expansive touring through New England. Memorable songs off the album include Wind and Doctor Frankenstein.  
  
It only took six months for Damage Control to complete their next album which was written mostly on the road. They called it Firebrand. The title track was an immediate hit among the band's followers and is a concert staple even today.  
  
At this point, Damage Control was noticed by Columbia records and signed to a two-album contract. This gave the trio much more room to work with in the studio and allowed them a bigger budget for their tours. However, the company had one condition: they wanted Naraku Yanagisawa to continue contributing on the new albums as he had on Firebrand. The band agreed since this simply gave them a good reason to make Naraku a full-time member.  
  
It took two years, but the result was Wide Awake Nightmare, a thematic album about the human emotion of fear. It was an instant success with radio classics such as Bad Moon, The Borgo Pass, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. Listeners were taken through a sonic revolution. Inuyasha's fierce, sharp-edged voice and aggressive lead-playing was contrasted by Miroku's smoother vocals and his inventive basslines. Shippo proved himself to be a percussionist and not just a drummer, using various unusual instruments to create atmosphere and special effects. Naraku's gritty rhythm guitar and haunting keyboards added a new character to the music along with his cinematic songwriting contributions.  
  
Riding the success of Wide Awake Nightmare, the band released what would be their heaviest album in the December of the same year. The power metal-flavored Inner Demons immediately rocketed to #36 in the US and #13 in the UK. The cover art featured a picture of Inuyasha with his eyes blood red and dark stripes on his cheeks. It was the second of three times that a band member would have their face on an album cover (the first being on their debut which showed a group shot of the band), and it also began the trend of the band's now-famous stage persona in which they assumed the roles of characters. Much like Ian Anderson's minstrel costume or Rhapsody's poet shirts and swords, Damage Control began to take on different characters during their shows, such as Inuyasha's "demon prince" persona.  
  
No one's quite sure when the turning point came that brought the band the strong following it has today. Many argue over the story, but the band themselves believe it was when they were asked to do a European tour opening for Blind Guardian and Iced Earth. The exposure resulted in immediate success.  
  
Columbia renewed the band's contract for another three albums. Full of confidence, Damage Control returned to the studio and in 2009 released Eye of the Storm. Less heavy than Inner Demons, but still featuring the band's trademark edgy sound, the album hit the charts at #7 in the US and #3 in the UK. It included break-away hits such as A Desperate Gamble and Just Trying to Live.  
  
After the tour, the band decided to take a break for a little while. Says Inuyasha, "We all needed some time off with all the hard work we'd been doing. We took a year off to let some things happen to us. Miroku and Sango finally got married that year. Kagome and I had our first child, which really changed my view of life. Yura and Naraku also got married on Halloween of all days. And not to be outdone, Shippo and Kirara got married on Christmas Eve.  
  
"Anyway, I remember in February Miroku calling me up and saying that he had an idea. He wanted to do an acoustics album." The band pursued this project with great gusto. Rather than simply recording acoustics in a studio, the band took a loan out from the bank themselves to help fund a trip around the world so that they could record their songs in different loations. The recorded everywhere from Stonehenge to the shadows of the Great Pyramids, from an abondoned castle in Germany to the steps of a Florentine cathedral, from the beaches of Tahiti to a shrine in Kyoto. The result was a double-disc album entitled Global Rhythms. It was an immediate success.  
  
When the tour was finished, the band returned home feeling ready to do another album. Unfortunately, things don't always work out as we plan.  
  
In 2012 just before the band was ready to reenter the studio, they were invited to attend a gala hosted by Columbia to celebrate a very successful year for the company. This is when disaster struck.  
  
Everything started out fine until Inuyasha was approached by up-and-coming pop idol Felicia Price. The story varies depending on who tells it, but the different view points all agree that Felicia began flirting with Inuyasha as soon as Kagome was out of earshot. He very bluntly turned her down with his typical sarcasm and abrassive attitude that had managed on the past to deter people he argued with, to which she responded with anger and indignity. In the screaming match that followed, Kagome soon joined the argument, going so far as to slap Felicia upside the head. Their three-year-old daughter, Asuka, wanting to defend her parents, actually squirmed free of Kagome's arms and bit the pop star on the leg. Things just kept going downhill from there as the other band members and their families got involved along with Price's entourage.  
  
The press had a field day with it. After Price's failed attempt at a lawsuit, Columbia terminated its contract with both her and Damage Control. The band was now in a tough situation. It was a financial disaster and they were without a studio. The group decided they wanted nothing more from major labels. And so to nurse their bruised egos and wallets, they returned to the indie music scene to record another album. The delay kept the album, entitled Road to Ruin, from being released until 2015, and was a little lackluster. Some thought the band would break up for good.  
  
But Damage Control were never ones to give up so easily. They instead decided to follow the example of punk rock band, The Dead Kennedys, and created their own label. Naraku, who had been studying at home for a business degree, helped straighten out all of the legal and financial complications involved. In 2016, Youkai Studio opened up under the Demon Prince label. A year later, the band released the album Fight! to reflect the attitude they felt at the time.  
  
2017 saw the band on hiatus. The following year, each member released his own solo album. Inuyasha's was a bombastic heavy metal/hard rock production called Demonslayer. Though a fan favorite, most of his songwriting was too risque to see wide-spread distribution.  
  
Miroku's album was more commercially successful with a keen, progressive rock sound that still managed to be radio friendly. The album was entitled Bridge to Eternity.  
  
Shippo's solo album was the most commercially successful of the four solo projects, and was entitled Breaking Stuff For Fun and Profit. Combining his love of classic rock with ska, reggae, and old-school punk, Shippo's album managed to actually widen Damage Control's audience.  
  
Naraku's album was called Leather and Silver. Though it didn't do as well as the others, long-time fans of the band regard it as an essential as it showcases Naraku's cinematic songwriting at its best. He decided not to release another solo album however, deciding that he did his best work with Damage Control.  
  
Feeling much more confident upon their return, the band released their next opus in 2020 entitled Hindsight. It was a return to their earlier days of sharp energy and experimentation. The title track and You'll Never Stop Me are still concert staples for the encores.  
  
In 2021, Damage Control released a double-disc covers album titled Muses: A Tribute to Our Inspirations. They covered songs from Led Zeppelin, Rush, Iron Maiden, Scorpions, The Michael Schenker Group, Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, The Police, Blue Oyster Cult, Jethro Tull, The Who, Manowar, Queensryche, Less Than Jake, The Beatles, and others. Though it was greeted with a rather mediocre reception, the band still takes pride in the work.  
  
2024 marked the group's 20th anniversary and the release of their landmark album, Warriors. Regarded by many as Damage Control's finest moment, critics scrambled through their thesaurusi to find adequate superlatives. The album covered a huge spectrum of the four musicians' abilities from the soaring anthem of Courage to Die, Courage to Live and hard rockers like Summer Rain and Los Bombasticos, to atmospheric pieces such as The Streets and the heartfelt ballad Winter.  
  
To round off their CD catalog, the group finally produced a live album and DVD. They launched a massive tour in 2024-2025 to celebrate their success, culling video clips from the best concerts of their world tour and spent months on the editing to ensure its perfection.  
  
The result was 2026's Alive and Dangerous. The CD, along with Warriors, went multiplatinum and the DVD sold out in its first week. The group bought up all their old material and rereleased it over the course of the next year, causing their entire catalog to achieve gold status with Inner Demons and Global Rhythms going platinum.  
  
For three years, the band went into secrecy. They maintained a public facade of managing their record label and taking in a variety of up-and-coming new artists such as The Tribe, Another Matter Entirely, Stampede, and Reggie Cole. Rumors abounded as fans tried to figure out what the four musicians were up to. Some said that they were going to split up. Others said that they were battling with drug or alcohol problems. Still others argued that the band members were struggling in their personal lives. None of these could have been further from the truth.  
  
In 2029, Damage Control surprised the world with an unexpected release to celebrate their 25th anniversary. It was called A Feudal Fairy Tale: A Rock Opera. The album was a four disc set detailing a complicated story of magic, romance, adventure, angst, and drama nearly ten years in the making. It followed the adventures of a young girl swept through time to ancient Japan and destined to recover the shards of a magic jewel with a group of unlikely heroes against the most blackhearted villains. Says Naraku, "We'd been working on the story and the music on and off since 2019. The instant we got the idea, I was all like 'I want to be the villain. Make me the villain because evil is much more fun than good.'"  
  
"It was a very... uh... different experience creating A Feudal Fairy Tale," Inuyasha said in an interview. "We were writing music for a full orchestra, the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, to be exact. We all took acting lessons to get the spoken word segments right. I don't think we'll ever maek something anywhere near as great as this. But we can certainly have fun trying."  
  
Immediately following the release, a tour was announced. The concert for A Feudal Fairy Tale is now considered one of the most significant rocks shows ever along the lines of Alice Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare and Jimmi Hendrix's performance at the Monterey Music Festival. The show included elaborate sets and lighting, beautiful costumes, a full choir and orchestra, and a set of actors who became the supporting cast in the three-act rock opera which starred the four band members and their families as main characters.  
  
That year, Damage Control was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and are now in the studio producing a second live DVD for their landmark album. What will the future bring? Who can say. Perhaps Miroku said it best in a recent interview. "We've always been a very experimental group. We like to try new things, play with our sound. As long as we still have fans who support us, we'll continue playing."  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes: And so the story ends. I never thought I'd finish it. There were some good moments, and some bad ones. But for the most part I feel satisfied.  
  
I may write a couple more fics. Hard to say. At the moment, I'm concentrating on my own original works. Remember that group I mentioned, the Midnight Society? Wish me luck. I've almost completed the short story that is my application into the group. Google them sometime. Hopefully, you'll soon see Nathaniel Christopher Lockhart added to the cast of characters.  
  
Some of you may recall that I promised you all a bonus. Well, in a few days I'll have it up in place of that note I put in telling you all I was on hiatus. And I might just add another one just to make up for 7 months of silence.  
  
I'd like to take this moment to give a shout out to some of my reviewers (in no particular order). A writer is nothing without readers.  
  
Saro- Thanks for all of your positive reinforcement right from day 1.  
  
Ama (Shades of Oblivion- You were the one who got me started on this whether you realize it or not. Good to have you backing me up throughout. And, see? I did use Rock and Roll band eventually. Just not in the way I had originally planned when you gave me the idea.  
  
Nyx- Remind me never to cross you if we meet in person. You give some rather... interesting incentives for continuing.  
  
dragontamer9741- You once said that you wish you were me. The hell you do! I'm just a step below a white jacket and a padded cell. Any gift you have has to have a balancing act. And unfortunately, for whatever skills I may possess, I'm only capable of spending about 10% of my conscious time somewhere other than 2 exits south of Neverland.  
  
murky-lurky- Thank you for the kind words every chapter. Your compliments on Shippo's characterizatio in chapter 3 gave me confidence that I was onto something.  
  
Spada Ken- You didn't expect me to actually do Naraku/Yura did you? The really wierd thing is that people liked it.  
  
lynnxlady- Writers need people like you to keep us grounded in reality. I'd rather not end up like Joss Whedon or other similar writers who are used ot people telling them that they're geniuses. So constructive criticism is the baseball bat that knocks my head out of the clouds and back into the pages where it should be. Yes, there were some plot holes and some mistakes. Not too happy with that. Chapter 18 in particular made me want to take a large blunt instrument, and smack myself in the face with it. But by pointing it out, you've helped me figure out how to avoid screwing up again. And your praise of what I did right was also helpful.  
  
Jurei- Thanks for all the positive feedback. It really helped me to learn and play up my strengths. Which in turn helped me get much closer to finding my voice as a writer.  
  
Areine- I should be thanking you, not the other way around. There are few things more gratifying than hearing someone say that something you created touched them or made them think. It's what I try to accomplish every time I write a story.  
  
BlueEyes7- To answer the question you asked in your review for Chatper 7, yes I took a semester of Psych. I bombed. I was feeling influenced by Orson Scott Card at the time.  
  
GothicElf- If you're ever worried about babbling during a review, don't be. It's good for my ego. :D  
  
YaHi- I can understand where you're coming from in that review for Chapter 9 and I know other people have the same issue, but I have a confession to make. Until my sophomore year in highschool, I may not have been part of the "in-crowd" and was very much a misfit, but I was one of the most stuck up, snotty, insufferable little brats you'd ever have the misfortune of meeting. And now I'm a good-humored, overly self-concious Mr. Nice Guy type. People can change. Looking back on what I used to be I feel a strong urge to repeatedly apply forehead to the nearest wall.  
  
bluefuzzyelf- Sounds like you and I would get along pretty good in real life. By the way, if you're wallet hates me, there's always piracy or (if you wanna go legit) those new "$.99 per download" programs.  
  
foureyedbookworm- Thank you for all your support. And since you were the first to comment on it, yes, I was rather pleased with the band name I came up with. I'm considering my own band either Idols of Fortune, The Loreweavers, or The Tribe.  
  
Aurelia Lothlorien- I'm going to have to get off my lazy ass and leave some reviews for Let Sleeping Dogs Lie since I've been following it for a while. All these people being so nice to me and I procrastinate too much. Oh, god the guilt trip! Anyway, thanks for that compliment about the Monopoly Guy line. I wish I could write dialogue like that all the time.  
  
Kenkaya- Thanks for the compliments. In case you're all wondering, I got the idea for the Cult Classics restaurant from a webcomic called Joe Average. I think you guys would like it.  
  
Thessalian- Thanks for all of your feedback and that picture which a lot of my other readers clearly appreciated. It was great corresponding with you, and I apologize for my silence as of late. Real life is a real kick in the throat, isn't it?  
  
Bubbles- Your worship combined the lynnxlady's harsh, but very necessary, criticism balances out to keep me from getting too much of an inflated of deflated ego over this story.  
  
AA-Chan- Though your suggestion about solving the Koga problem was a logical one, I didn't go with it for the same reason that Gandalf didn't tell the eagle Gwaihir to take him straight to Frodo and airlift the One Ring straight to Mount Doom. It doesn't have the same dramatic effect and stretching it out would be a lot harder.  
  
Fanny T- Thanks for the kind words. Shippo's little game, by the way, is Three Card Monte. Basically, the con artist puts three cards face down and shows you that one is a queen. He then rearranges the cards, you place a bet or pay to play, and have to guess which one is the queen. The thing is, it's all a scam. You can't win. The guy behind the cards always cheats. It's a classic grift. And I thought it would be very much like Shippo to do that.  
  
Em Starcatcher- Given the number of other fics out there with such a similar setting to mine, I'm very grateful that you liked mine enough to stick with it. Like I've repeated many time, I was striving to be different and it looks like I succeeded.  
  
starrynight323- I'm flattered to be considered good enough for the Inu smiley.   
  
blondechik736- I would be honored to accept. Just let me go back and clean up my mistakes first. 


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